KRI, Iraq Top Destination for Turkish Exports
Türkiye exported $5 billion in goods to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq in the first half of 2025, making them its top neighboring market and accounting for over a third of total border exports, highlighting deepening economic interdependence.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Region (KRI) and Iraq have solidified their position as Türkiye's most significant export market among its neighbors, absorbing five billion dollars worth of goods in the first half of 2025, according to official Turkish data.
The figures, released by the Ministry of Trade and the Turkish Exporters' Assembly, show that Türkiye's total exports to its neighboring countries during this period increased by 4.8%, reaching a total of 13 billion and 293 million dollars.
This represents a notable increase from the same period last year, when the value of Türkiye's exports to its neighbors stood at 12 billion and 679 million dollars.
In the ranking of export destinations for the first six months of 2025, exports to the Kurdistan Region and Iraq far surpassed other neighbors. Following them were Bulgaria with two billion and 200 million dollars, Greece with one billion and 800 million dollars, and Georgia with one billion and 700 million dollars.
The latest trade data underscores the profound and growing economic interdependence between Türkiye and its eastern neighbors, the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The five-billion-dollar figure is not merely a statistic; it represents a vital economic artery that highlights the strategic importance of this relationship for both sides.
The scale of the trade is the most telling aspect of the report. The Kurdistan Region and Iraq market alone accounts for more than a third of Türkiye's total exports to all its neighbors combined. More strikingly, it is more than double the value of exports to the next largest neighbor, Bulgaria, demonstrating a level of market dominance that is unparalleled in the region. This dependency makes the economic health and stability of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq a direct and critical interest for Turkish businesses and policymakers.
For the Kurdistan Region, these figures reaffirm its role as a primary gateway for Turkish goods entering Iraq and a major consumer market in its own right. This deep trade relationship provides access to essential goods but also creates a strategic reality where economic ties can influence political dynamics.
The overall 4.8% growth in exports to the region signals a robust and expanding trade corridor, even amidst potential political or security challenges. This trend suggests that commercial ties are resilient and continue to deepen, solidifying an economic partnership that is foundational to the regional economy.
