The provinces of Bursa, Istanbul, Kocaeli and Sakarya in the Marmara Region play key role in Turkey’s automotive sector exports.
The four provinces shoulder Turkish automotive exports predominantly. In the first 9 months, some 86 percent of the sector exports were fulfilled by these provinces accounting for $13 billion 147 million. In this period the total automotive sector exports were $15 billion 370 million. Last year, in the same period, the sector exports were $16 billion 915 million, according to the data posted from Turkish Exporters’ Association (TIM) and Automotive Industry Exporters’ Association (OIB). As Bursa province provides 33.1 percent of the total automotive exports, Istanbul ranked second with 23.29 percent, Kocaeli third with 21.81 percent and Sakarya fourth with 7.34 percent. The biggest contribution to the automotive sector, which has been in the locomotive position of the economy, came from the provinces of Bursa, Istanbul, Kocaeli and Sakarya in the Marmara Region. Hosting automotive making firms such as Oyak Renault, Tofas and Karsan as well as lots of supplier industry and guiding the sector, the northwestern province of Bursa kept its leadership in the sector exports with $5 billion 87 million in the first 9 months. As the nearest tracker of Bursa, the city of Istanbul shouldered sector exports with worth $3 billion 579 million in this period. Taking share of 23.29 percent, Istanbul upheld its second position in the sector exports this year too. Kocaeli province increased its export share to 21.81 percent accounting for $3 billion 351 million. Sakarya province’s share in the sector exports was 7.34 percent ranging fourth. These provinces followed by Ankara, Izmir and Manisa in the sector exports. As first four provinces accomplished the exports over $1 billion the latter ones remained under $1 billion in the sector exports in the first 9 months. In the statement, the OIB Executive Board Chairman Orhan Sabuncu said Bursa province met one-third of the automotive exports, adding that despite plunge stemmed from parityeffect, the automotive sector has been the locomotive of the economy. Reminding the automotive sector would also accomplish the year 2015 as leader, Sabuncu said; “The automotive industry has been champion of the last 9 years. Hopefully, it will be the champion of the last 10 years too. Almost one-sixth of the Turkey’s overall exports come from the automotive sector. In the future, this figure will raise one-fifth. The sector would be nonstop champion for 10 years by the year-end.”