Germany topped Türkiye's export destinations at $11.2 billion in H1 2026 while China led imports at $26.3 billion, TÜİK data shows.
In H1 2026, Germany ($11.2 billion), the United States ($8.5 billion), the United Kingdom ($8.0 billion), Italy ($7.2 billion), and France ($5.7 billion) accounted for 29.9% of total Turkish exports, which Trend's calculations place at approximately $136.2 billion.
On the import side, China ($26.3 billion), Russia ($20.9 billion), Germany ($13.5 billion), the United States ($9.6 billion), and Switzerland ($7.4 billion) made up 41.1% of total imports, implied at approximately $189.1 billion. The trade deficit for H1 2026 stood at approximately $53 billion, with exports covering 72% of imports.
In June specifically, Germany led exports at $2.0 billion, followed by the United States ($1.5 billion), Italy ($1.4 billion), the United Kingdom ($1.3 billion), and Spain ($1.1 billion) - 29% of the June total. China led June imports at $5.3 billion, followed by Russia ($3.7 billion), Germany ($2.5 billion), the United States ($1.9 billion), and Italy ($1.4 billion) - 41.6% of the June total.
Trend's analysis shows that China's import dominance is the most structurally significant finding in the data. At $26.3 billion in H1, Chinese imports are annualizing toward $53 billion - well above Russia's $20.9 billion and 2.3 times Germany's $13.5 billion. China's share of Turkish imports (13.9% in H1) has been growing steadily, driven by electronics, machinery, EVs, and consumer goods. The $5.3 billion in Chinese imports in June alone exceeds Germany's $2.5 billion by 2.1 times - a ratio that reflects China's role as Türkiye's dominant supplier of manufactured goods rather than a supplier of any single category.
Critically, Türkiye did not follow the European Union's 45% additional tariff on Chinese electric vehicles announced in 2024. As EU, US, and other markets erected tariff barriers, Türkiye's relatively open market has made it an increasingly attractive destination for Chinese EV exports - and potentially a re-export base for Chinese goods seeking access to European markets via Turkish free trade agreements.
Russia's $20.9 billion in H1 imports - annualizing to approximately $41.8 billion - remains dominated by natural gas and oil. Türkiye imports roughly 26–27 billion cubic meters of Russian gas annually via TurkStream and Blue Stream, and Russian crude oil has supplied a growing share of Türkiye's refinery inputs since European buyers reduced Russian oil purchases post-2022. The persistence of Russian energy imports at this scale reflects Türkiye's strategic decision to maintain commercial relations with Moscow.
The export partner picture reveals a different structure: the top five export markets cover only 29.9% of total exports - 11 percentage points less concentrated than the import side's 41.1%. This means Turkish exports are substantially more diversified geographically than its imports. The US bilateral data is notable: Türkiye's exports more to the US ($8.5 billion H1) than it imports ($9.6 billion), running a near-balanced position with Washington - in contrast to large deficits with China and Russia. Spain appearing in the June export top five but not the H1 top five reflects seasonal demand: Spain is one of Türkiye's largest summer tourism source markets and a major buyer of Turkish fresh produce and textiles in the summer months, generating a June-concentrated export spike that dilutes across the annual average.
