Turkish State Minister Kursat Tuzmen announced in December 2006 that Türkiye expected to close the year with $85 billion in exports, surpassing the original $85 billion annual target by roughly $6 billion.
Tuzmen said the government and private sector remained firmly committed to a long-range goal of $500 billion in annual exports by 2023, expressing confidence the target would be met based on prior accomplishments.
The minister argued that export growth is the primary remedy for Türkiye's current account deficit, noting that the country had shifted away from a low-price strategy toward a policy of higher-quality goods sold at higher prices.
Tuzmen also pointed to the overseas construction sector as a secondary solution to the deficit, saying that the strong performance of Turkish construction firms abroad had helped bring the current account gap to a manageable level.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in December 2006, in its own words.