Exports from Turkey’s 19 free zones under the Ministry of Trade rose 6.9% year on year in the January-July period of 2026, reaching $7.7 billion. The ministry said this was the highest value recorded for the first seven months of any year. The figures indicate that the zones had a strong period not only in the value of overseas sales, but also in the composition of exports and their capacity to cover imports.
July exports remained above $1 billion
According to the official statement, exports from the free zones increased 11.3% from a year earlier in July to $1.152 billion. Monthly exports therefore stayed above the $1 billion threshold and set a new record for July. The ratio of exports to imports was 160.9% for January-July and 152.5% for July alone. A ratio above 100% means the zones exported more than they imported during those periods.
Exports also accounted for 76.8% of total sales from the zones. The ministry described that share as the highest ever for a seven-month period. The measure shows that a substantial portion of commercial activity in the free zones was directed to markets outside Turkey.
These indicators describe different parts of the trade picture. The $7.7 billion figure is the value of exports, the 76.8% share shows how much of total sales went to foreign markets, and the 160.9% ratio compares exports with imports. They should not be read as interchangeable measures of growth. Considered together, they offer a more detailed view of the zones’ export orientation and net-exporting position.
Technology-intensive goods reached a 57.4% share
The statement also provided details on the technological composition of the export basket. Medium-high technology products represented 50.4% of total exports, while high-technology products accounted for 7%. Together, the two groups made up 57.4% of exports. The breakdown means the increase can be assessed not only through its headline value, but also through the technological intensity of the goods being sold abroad.
A total of 1,934 user companies operate in the zones, including 474 foreign companies. These businesses directly employ 87,655 people. Of 2,795 allocated operating licences, 2,097 were held by domestic users and 698 by foreign users. The share of licences related to production rose from the previous year to 44.6%.
Aegean Free Zone led the ranking
The Aegean Free Zone recorded the highest export value among individual zones. Its seven-month exports increased 7.2% year on year to $1.963 billion, equal to 25.5% of all free-zone exports. The Bursa Free Zone lifted exports by 32.7% to $1.205 billion.
The Antalya Free Zone increased July exports by 227.2% to $115.1 million. Its exports for the first seven months rose 40.2% to $447 million. The Adana-Yumurtalık Free Zone posted $341 million in exports, an increase of 32.3%. The ministry said six free zones achieved export growth of at least 10%.
The Aegean Free Zone generated $3.73 billion in trade with international markets and the rest of Turkey, representing 22% of total free-zone trade. Adana-Yumurtalık, Western Anatolia, Gaziantep and Trabzon recorded increases across all four trade directions tracked by the ministry. Although performance differed between locations, the combined data present a seven-month picture in which export value, technology content and employment indicators moved in a positive direction.
