Turkey aims to export $6 billion in jewelry this year and double this figure to $12 billion by 2023, said the head of the country's Jewelry Exporters' Association (JTR).

Turkey's jewelry sector is its best-performing export sector, the JTR's Mustafa Kamar said.

According to data from the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TİM), the jewelry sector increased its exports by 96.2% year-on-year in July, becoming the sector that increased its foreign sales at the highest rate in the said period.

In the first seven months of this year, the sector raised its exports by 12.8% to $2.2 billion, while in all of 2018 its exports rose 35% to $4.4 billion. The 12-month jewelry exports, on the other hand, amounted to $6 billion in July. "The JTR's steps in sales and marketing to boost the sector's performance were effective," Kamar told Anadolu Agency (AA). Kamar added that the group organized joint international fairs, gathered trade delegations, organized roadshows and hosted foreign purchasing agents in Turkey.

Kamar highlighted that the country is also a gold hub due to its geopolitical position. "To take the current position further and reach the goals of jewelry exports, all steps that will ease the sector in both domestic and foreign markets need to be taken urgently," he noted.

Kamar underlined that jewelry is a strategic sector that employs around 1 million people through approximately 35,000 jewelers and 6,000 producers.

"Turkey is a now a major jewelry producer internationally, along with India, China, and Italy," he said.

Referring to the activities planned for the jewelry sector in the coming period, Kamar said in the coming days they plan to visit several foreign cities, including Miami and Hong Kong, to help boost exports.

Informing the media that the eighth installment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Precious Stones and Jewelry Associations Conference would be held for the first time in Istanbul between Oct. 8-12 with some nearly 500 representatives from the jewelry sector in attendance, Kamar said they would also simultaneously open the doors of the 49th Istanbul Jewelry Fair. "We have a busy schedule, and each stop means a new step for our exports. Therefore, we believe that we will achieve our export targets this year," he concluded.