Turkey’s exports fell 3.1 percent year on year to $63.28 billion in the first quarter of 2026, the Ministry of Trade said on Monday in a post on the X social media platform, attributing the drop to the Iran war and a calendar effect.
The war, now in its 50th day, had cut into exports in the January-March period, the ministry said.
Still, 40 of Turkey’s provinces posted higher exports than a year earlier, and 14 topped $1 billion in first-quarter shipments, the ministry said.
March exports totaled $21.92 billion, down 6.4 percent from $23.40 billion in March 2025, according to ministry data. İstanbul remained the country’s top exporter in March at $3.81 billion, though its exports dropped 21.7 percent year on year. Kocaeli followed at $3.16 billion, down 1.6 percent; İzmir at $2 billion, down 4.5 percent; Bursa at $1.74 billion, down 0.1 percent; and Ankara at $1.2 billion, up 2.1 percent.
Tekirdağ, Mersin, Gaziantep, Sakarya and Manisa ranked sixth through tenth.
Precious stones topped İstanbul’s exports in March at $488 million, followed by boilers and machinery at $432 million and knitted apparel and accessories at $377 million, according to the Ekonomim news site. Motor vehicles led Kocaeli’s March exports at $1.04 billion, followed by petroleum products and other mineral-based fuels at $536 million and electrical machinery and devices at $230 million. Motor vehicles also topped İzmir’s March exports at $519 million, followed by iron and steel at $226 million and boilers and machinery at $170 million.
Germany was İstanbul’s top export destination in March at $325 million, followed by the United States at $251 million and the United Kingdom at $151 million. Kocaeli sent most of its March exports to the United Kingdom at $268 million, ahead of Germany at $260 million and Italy at $240 million. İzmir’s top March market was Germany at $183 million, followed by Italy at $150 million and Malta at $149 million.
The war began on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran. The conflict has disrupted energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and driven up oil, gas and fertilizer prices. Turkey is among the economies most exposed to the fallout due to its heavy reliance on energy imports and close trade ties with Gulf states, according to earlier assessments by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Turkey’s exports to Gulf countries fell by about 39 percent in the first 12 days after the strikes, according to remarks by Turkey Exporters Assembly (TİM) President Mustafa Gültepe last month. Gültepe cited logistical disruptions and sharply higher transport and energy costs, saying sectors including chemicals, food, defense and apparel were particularly impacted.
