Turkish President confirms his country's exports reach $284 billion annually

Istanbul, Oct 7 (KUNA) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that his country’s exports have risen to $284 billion annually, up from around $36 billion in 2002. In a speech during a meeting with members of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) marking the opening of the fifth legislative year of the 28th Turkish Parliament, Erdogan noted that exports in September rose by 15.4 percent compared to the same month last year, reaching $26 billion. He pointed out that Turkish exports during the first nine months of this year increased by 5.2 percent to $211 billion, while exports over the past 12 months totaled $283.7 billion. He clarified that total annual exports of goods and services approached $410 billion, emphasizing that these figures represent new records despite regional conflicts and the global economic slowdown. (End) T.A. / M.A.A.