Istanbul: Trkiye’s exports to neighboring countries exceeded $18 billion during the first eight months of this year, with Iraq being the top importer. According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Turkish Exporters Assembly announced that Turkey’s exports to neighboring countries during the first eight months of this year reached $18.2 billion, marking a 2.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

According to data from the Turkish Exporters Assembly, Turkey’s total exports during the first eight months of this year rose by 4 percent year-on-year, increasing from $177.9 billion to $185 billion. During the same period, total Turkish exports to eight neighboring countries-Iraq, Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Syria, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Armenia-also saw an upward trend.

Exports to these neighboring countries rose by 2.6 percent, from $17.762 billion to $18.226 billion, reflecting an increase of approximately $463.6 million compared to the same period last year. From January to the end of August, Iraq topped the list of neighboring countries in terms of the volume of Turkish exports, with a value of $5,758,899,000.

Bulgaria came in second with $3,439,040,000, followed by Greece with $2,293,038,000, and Georgia with $1,949,857,000. Syria followed with $1,675,429,000, Iran with $1,566,709,000, and Azerbaijan with $1,541,916,000. Turkish exports to Armenia during that period amounted to $1,336,000.

Istanbul, Gaziantep, Ankara, Kocaeli, and Mersin were among the top Turkish provinces exporting to neighboring countries during the first eight months of this year, with total exports from these five provinces exceeding $11.661 billion.