Germany remains Türkiye's single most important trading partner, according to the Turkish-German Business Council, which released the assessment ahead of Chancellor Angela Merkel's arrival in Türkiye with a delegation of 20 business executives.
Bilateral trade has expanded sharply over the past 15 years, with Türkiye's exports to Germany climbing 176.4 percent and imports from Germany rising 319.8 percent. The trade deficit with Germany reached 4.1 billion USD in the prior year and stood at 2.9 billion USD through the first seven months of 2006. Türkiye primarily sends clothing, textiles, and produce to Germany, while receiving machinery, electrical equipment, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and steel in return.
German corporate presence in Türkiye has grown dramatically, from 24 registered firms in 1980 to 2,384 today, active in sectors ranging from automotive and chemicals to finance and tourism. German capital accounted for 4.6 percent of total foreign investment in Türkiye last year (391 million USD), with 196 million USD invested through July 2006.
Turkish investment flows into Germany are also increasing. Of the 143 Turkish firms operating there in 2005, roughly 80 percent of their capital was placed in banking, with smaller shares in manufacturing, trade, and tourism. Germany also ranks among the top sources of tourists visiting Türkiye, sending roughly 3 to 4 million visitors annually.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.