Türkiye doubles share of global manufacturing value added: Industry minister

Türkiye has doubled its share of global manufacturing value added over the past two decades, Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said on Thursday.

Speaking at the ACE BPSC 2026 conference in Istanbul, Kacir said engagement with American businesses was an important component of bilateral relations.

Under Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump, both countries share the political will to deepen economic ties and advance toward their $100 billion bilateral trade target, he said.

"We have doubled our share of global manufacturing value added thanks to the strong production infrastructure we have built over the past 20 years," Kacir said.

Annual goods exports have risen from $36 billion in 2002 to $283 billion, he added, highlighting Türkiye's role in European value chains.

Innovation and industrial transformation

Türkiye has more than 1,700 R&D and design centers and over 13,000 companies operating in 115 technology parks, Kacir said.

Its R&D workforce has increased from 29,000 in the early 2000s to 311,000.

He highlighted advances in defense manufacturing and electric vehicle brand Togg, saying Türkiye aimed to move higher in global technology value chains.

Cooperation with the World Bank has provided more than $1 billion for industrial companies, smaller businesses and green technology startups, he said, adding that work with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has also advanced efforts to secure €5 billion for green transformation investments.

Data centers and space ambitions

Kacir said Türkiye aims to expand data center capacity to 1 gigawatt by 2030 and mobilize at least $10 billion in private investment in AI, cloud technologies and digital infrastructure.

He said assembly and integration of Türkiye's lunar spacecraft had been completed, with launch planned for early 2027.

Türkiye has joined the Artemis Accords and is developing a spaceport in Somalia, he added.

Invitation to US investors

Türkiye, according to the minister, aims to expand industrial land from 160,000 hectares to 350,000 hectares by 2030.

He highlighted the Zangezur Corridor, Development Road and Northern Marmara Railway as projects strengthening trade connections.

Inviting US investors to participate, Kacir called for concrete projects, stronger investment flows, deeper technology cooperation and lasting commercial partnerships.