For Turkish exports, 2017 was a lucrative year, recording the second highest figure in the country's history and generating $157.1 billion. The figure has been particularly boosted by six sectors. According to the data of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), the automotive, machinery, jewelry, defense and aviation, fruits and vegetables and ornamental plants sector reached their highest annual levels in exports.

TİM Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi noted that exports in 2017 increased every month without exception and recalled that the increase in exports was in double digits in eight months of the year.

In a written statement, Büyükekşi said the automotive, machinery, jewelry, defense and aviation, fruits and vegetables and ornamental plants sectors reached their highest annual export levels. The automotive exports, which stood at only $2.4 billion in 2000, reached the highest all time level with $28.5 billion in 2017, while in the same period, the machinery sector reached an all-time high with $6.1 billion, followed by the jewelry sector with $3.3 billion, the defense and aviation sector with $1.7 billion, the fruits and vegetables sector with $1.4 billion and the ornamental plants sector with $85 million.

The chairman said Turkey's exports to 185 destinations increased in 2017, noting that they reinforced their presence in many countries in this period regardless of their proximity. Noting that their exports to Iceland went up more than six-fold, followed by Haiti with a four-fold increase, Büyükekşi said the exports to Jamaica, Malta and Panama rose by over 100 percent, while exports to Liberia, Singapore and the Dominican Republic almost doubled. "With the crisis that we experienced with Russia now left behind, we reached an increase of 51.2 percent in exports to Russia this year," he added.

Büyükekşi stated that even though the top 20 countries that Turkey exports to the most remained unchanged in 2017, the ranking slightly changed. Noting that the top three are Germany, the U.K. and Italy respectively, Büyükekşi said the U.S., which ranked fifth last year, rose to fourth place this year with the increase in automotive exports, while China ranked fifteenth, rising three places in a row. "Countries such as Israel, Romania, Bulgaria found their place in higher ranking this year. In the top 20, we got the highest export increase in Russia," Büyükekşi continued, adding that exports to Spain, the U.S., China and Belgium increased by more than 20 percent, while double digit increases were achieved to the U.K., Iraq and Poland.

Meanwhile, the provisional data revealed that the unit price of exports in 2017 was $1.36.