January exports from the provinces impacted by last year's earthquake experienced a noteworthy rebound, according to the latest official data, adding to the overall surge in monthly outbound shipments which rose 3.6% year-over-year and indicating a steadfast economic comeback in this region.
The combined exports from 11 provinces affected by the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes picked up by 2.3% in January when compared to the same period last year, reaching $1.51 billion (TL 46.05 billion), data sourced by Anadolu Agency (AA) from the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) revealed.
In comparison, the provinces including Adana, Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye and Şanlıurfa had shipped goods worth $1.47 billion in January of the previous year.
Accordingly, the exports from these provinces surpassed the pre-earthquake levels for January. However, while four of the provinces increased their exports last month, the other seven saw a decrease.
Within the stated period, Şanlıurfa stood out with the highest annual increase with 67.5% growth in January followed by Kilis with 18.5% and Hatay with 16.6%. The provinces with the most notable export decline during this period were Osmaniye at 49.4%, Elazığ at 31% and Adıyaman at 17.5%.
The country's overall exports last month hit a record with $20.03 billion, increasing by 3.6% every year, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat announced on Friday.
Exports are among the top priorities of the government to ensure sustainable economic growth and flip the trade gap.
According to the data regarding quake-impacted provinces, Gaziantep secured the top spot in January exports with $814.3 million, with Adana following at $236.7 million, Hatay at $224.3 million and Kahramanmaraş with $103.1 million.
Examining the figures from the last year, the southeastern region renowned for its agricultural production and the large cotton-growing area as well as textile production witnessed a slight decline in exports throughout last year owing to disruption caused by early February tremors.
In 2022, the total amount of exports from the affected provinces stood at $20.5 billion, compared to $18.19 billion last year. Therefore, the aftermath of the earthquake took a toll on these regions in 2023, resulting in an 11.3% decrease in exports on an annual basis.
Despite the downturn in shipments the economic toll on the country's gross domestic product (GDP) was lower than estimated, the officials said earlier, as both governmental and industrial organizations stepped up their efforts to assist the recovery of the region.
On Sunday, ahead of the grim anniversary of the disaster that left over 53,000 people killed and some 14 million affected, the heads of some business organizations reflected on the action and collective mobilization in the wake of the earthquakes.
"While our state mobilized all its resources with all its institutions and organizations, vehicles, equipment and personnel to the earthquake region, every individual of our nation, from the business world to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), became one heart for Türkiye," Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairperson Gürsel Baran said.
"In the 'disaster of the century,' we saw once again that there is no challenge, no obstacle that we cannot overcome as a nation in solidarity," he added.
Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) President Seyit Ardıç similarly recalled they had visited the province of Hatay to evaluate the demands of the industrialists in the earthquake zone and to examine the works at the "ASO Life Center." Furthermore, he mentioned a visit to the Antakya Organized Industrial Zone alongside the board of directors, where vital consultations about providing support took place.
"We initiated a 'reverse migration' campaign because the industrial facilities in the region needed to be put into operation as soon as possible," Ardıç noted.
"The Feb. 6 earthquakes once again demonstrated that the solidarity of the state and the nation is at the highest level."