Textile industry in Turkey | Top textile companies in Turkey

Textile industry in Turkey

The textile industry is one of the most important sectors of the Turkish economy in terms of GDP, exports, and employment. It comprises 10 percent of the country's GDP and 20 percent of the country's total employment. It is 40 percent of the country's total industrial production. Turkey's manufactured garment exports amount to $8 billion a year and 5 percent of total global trade. As a traditional cotton-producing country, Turkey has abundant availability of cotton. This massive growth in cotton provides major benefits to its textile sector through the uninterrupted supply of quality cotton, the main raw material required by the textile industry. A study stated that 228 of the 1000 largest manufacturing companies in Turkey deal in textiles, clothing, and carpets. The top five foreign markets for Turkey are the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

A great way to see the cultural distinctiveness of any nation is through its clothing and the fashions that people wear. Garments are made from textiles or fabrics and fabrics are made from natural or synthetic fibers. Turkey, formerly known as the Ottoman Empire, has a history that stretches back to ancient times, and its textile industry goes back just as far. When Turkey was in the Ottoman Empire (1299 to 1922), textiles were an important part of their economy and an attribute of nobility. Any cloth that was sold as part of the imperial treasury belonged to the sultan (king) and the royal family at the time. Thus, textiles and the sultan's wealth interchangeably illustrate the importance of textiles in the Ottoman Empire. This fact also indicates that Ottoman textiles had high quality and were considered luxury items.

The Turkish state classifies all textiles into three group’s cotton, wool, or silk. This was important because most cotton and woolen textiles were imported between the 15th and 17th centuries. Cotton was sourced from India, and wool came from Europe.

However, mohair production was something the Turks prided themselves on and was made from the hair of Angora goats found in the Ankara region of the country. Mohair was very soft and silky, just like the hair of angora goats, but could be mixed with wool and used to make clothing. Mohair exports have done very well abroad, particularly in Europe.

The Turkish worked mainly with silk extracted from silkworms which they then embossed or trimmed with gold and silver thread. Turkish textiles can double as works of art such as gold and silver designs of tulips, palm trees, or the Islamic crescent moon and stars seen in many examples throughout the ages. Many different textile hybrids can be made from silk, taffeta, satin, velvet, and brocade. Excellent weavers of silk, the Turkish created works of art that transcended clothing.

Top textile companies in Turkey

1. Stocklot Textile Group Co.

2. VIZYON TEKSTIL TURIZM VE DIS TICARET LTD STI

3. Erkal Deri Tekstil San.ve Tic.Ltd.Sti.

4. Toprak Tekstil IC Ve DIS Ticaret

5. Can Textile Groups Trade Co

6. Ebruzen Tekstil Sanayi Ticaret Ltd. Sti.

7. Mugen Foreign Trade

8. Donertas Tekstil San. ve Tic. Ltd. Sti.

9. Ravenap Co.

10. Ulus Group

11. Donertas Deri ve Ayakkabi San. ve Tic. Ltd. Sti.

12. SAKA ELEKTRIK INSAAT VE GIDA SAN TIC LTD STI

13. Polat Medical Textile- Polat Tibbi Tekstil

14. EMIN ATES (EDATEX TRADING CO)

15. Soner Isbil Tekstile Industry and Trade Co., Ltd.

16. Organictexstyle

17. AS Textile

18. LINDEN TEKSTIL MERMER GIDA NAKLIYE ITHALAT IHRACAT SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI

19. MAVIASLAN DIS TICARET VE BILISIM LIMITED SIRKETI

20. R & S Home Collection

21. AMT Foreign Trade Co.Ltd.

22. OSSO Foreign Trade and Consulting Services

23. Anadooria Foreign Trade

24. Ares Import & Export Ltd. Co.

25. Sarikilic Textile

26. Alvintek

27. Sns Foreign Trade Company

28. Esen Tid. Ve A.S.

29. SARIGOZ TEXTILE

30. ODNEKS FOREIGN TRADE

31. ILETISIM FUARCILIK

32. PARTNER TEXTILES LTD.

33. Hitit Textile For. Co.

34. Ekinoks Textile Agency

35. Perdeland Textile

36. Odelia Textile, Ltd

37. POLARIS GIYIM A.S

38. SUPER TEKSTIL SANAYI VE TICARET AS

39. Ceyizsan Textile Ltd.

40. Tuana Tekstil Man. Mef. ith. ihr. san. tic. ltd. sti.

41. Baskan Textile Ltd.,

42. Konca Towel & Textile Industry &Trade Co., Ltd.

43. Alfa Textiles INC.

44. INC Textile ltd co.

45. Chocili Textile

46. Destinateks Ltd.

47. Contex Textile AS

48. MTN Textile Trade Co Ltd

49. Angelstrading Company

50. Demirtosun Ltd.

Prospects of the textile industry in Turkey

The success of the textile industry in Turkey can be attributed to the relatively low cost, availability of domestic supplies of high-quality raw cotton, and Turkey's strategic and favorable geographical location between Europe and Asia. These advantages have enabled Turkish manufacturers to profitably export products to mature Western markets – despite a significant intensification of competition in the world market due to the development of the textile and clothing industries in many Asian countries, especially China.

Turkey's geography and location are relatively advantageous, reflecting, in part, the country's proximity to its major trading partners in Europe. Turkey's proximity to Europe, both geographically and culturally, creates an advantage over countries in the Far East.

Turkey has a long-established, diverse, and modern textile and apparel industry that has played an important role in the country's economic and industrial development. In 2013 the textile and apparel industry accounted for 7.1% of Turkey's gross domestic product (GDP), 15.0% of its industrial output, and 27.6% of its manufacturing workforce. The industry is also a significant source of foreign exchange: its exports in 2013, valued at US$27.7 billion, were equivalent to 18.2% of Turkey's total exports.

Today, leading Turkish entrepreneurs in the textile industry are now focusing on how to make Turkey more competitive and shrink domestic capacity under the pressures of globalization. As a result, there has been a strong desire to move away from the production of low-value-added products to the production of value-added textiles, utilizing Turkey's highly skilled and productive labor force.