Trade Minister Ömer Bolat outlined Türkiye’s e-export targets and developments in digital trade at the opening of the Istanbul Global E-Export Summit, organized under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade. Bolat said they aim for Türkiye to reach an e-export volume of $6 billion by the end of the year.
Bolat shares economic data
Bolat said Türkiye’s unemployment rate stood at 8.1% as of July and had remained in single digits for the past 39 months. He said the economy had recorded positive growth for 24 consecutive quarters, or six years, adding that growth reached 2.5% in the first half of 2026 and the size of the economy had reached $1.7 trillion.
Bolat said the decline in inflation had continued since June and noted that consumer inflation had fallen to 31.55%.
Bolat said monthly records were set in goods exports in April, June, July and August, adding that exports totaled $23.5 billion in August. He announced that goods exports in the first eight months reached $185 billion, while annualized goods exports reached $280.3 billion as of August.
E-commerce’s share of trade approaches 20%
Bolat said digital trade had become an important channel for reaching consumers, noting that e-commerce in Türkiye grew by 80% annually between 2019 and 2025. He said e-commerce’s share of overall retail had risen to approximately 20% and that the number of companies engaged in e-commerce reached 650,000 at the end of 2025.
Bolat said e-commerce accounted for 19.3% of total trade and approximately 7% of gross domestic product. He said investments in e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the development of digital exports despite contraction in many sectors.
Bolat said global gross domestic product grew by 33% and the global retail sector by 28% between 2019 and 2025, adding that global retail volume reached $32 trillion and global production reached $118 trillion. He said business-to-consumer e-commerce volume increased by 91% over the same period to reach $6.5 trillion, while e-commerce accounted for 20% of global retail sales.
New markets and support measures for e-exports
Bolat said the number of target markets for e-exports had been increased from 26 to 35 this year. He said work was under way to reduce the tax burden created by the removal of the exemption for e-imports in the European Union, adding that automatically issued A.TR movement certificates helped ease companies’ tax burden.
Bolat said approximately 40 guides had been prepared on e-export road maps and customs procedures for 25 countries, as well as 28 marketplaces and five digital channels, to facilitate companies’ access to information. He said these materials had been made available for companies’ use.
Bolat announced that the number of companies generating more than $10,000 in annual e-exports had risen from 8,132 in 2022 to 11,420 by the end of 2025. He said Istanbul ranked first in e-export volume. Bolat noted that clothing and apparel stood out among the sectors, adding that the United States, Germany, Azerbaijan, Romania and Saudi Arabia were among the main partner countries.
Focus on digital transformation and artificial intelligence
Bolat said artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things and blockchain technologies were affecting every stage of trade, from production to logistics and from pricing to marketing. He said more than 6 billion people, equivalent to 73% of the world’s population, were active in the digital world, adding that the digital economy had reached $16 trillion.
Bolat announced that the internet usage rate in Türkiye had risen to 92.3% as of 2026. He said 93.6% of businesses had internet access and 56.5% had a digital storefront. Bolat said 5G service had reached 44.5 million subscribers in four months and that they viewed artificial intelligence as a strategic tool for companies seeking to access global markets.
E-Kolay İhracat Platform renewed
Bolat recalled that the Kolay İhracat Platform had been launched in 2020 to facilitate traditional goods exports and that the E-Kolay İhracat Platform had been introduced in 2024 to support e-exports. He said the platform, which consists of 12 modules, directs companies to markets and marketplaces and provides up-to-date information on 26 countries.
Bolat also announced that the Smart E-Export Robot had been renewed to provide more targeted results for individual companies. He said summits were being organized to raise awareness of e-exports and that the Export Academy’s curriculum included an e-export training program.
