EU anchor, weaker pull
Europe remains Turkiye’s core apparel customer, but its centre of gravity is softer. In January-April ****, exports to the EU reached about $*.** billion, down *.* per cent. Germany, still the top market, fell ** per cent to $***.* million. France dropped **.* per cent, Italy **.* per cent and Poland **.* per cent. TGSD’s first-quarter read was even sharper: ready-to-wear exports were $*.** billion, EU exports fell *.* per cent, and Germany and Italy were each down ** per cent.
That matters because Turkiye’s classic apparel model was built on Europe’s need for speed. Its edge has been proximity, flexible manufacturing, shorter lead times and a deeper local textile base than many cut-make-trim competitors. But that advantage is being tested by cautious European buying, price pressure and a rising compliance load around traceability, due diligence and product-level sustainability data.
Where the growth is moving
