BURSA - Turkey`s automotive companies are expected to export over 1 million vehicles this year, an amount more than last year`s entire production, head of an exporters` association said on Thursday.
Erkut Ozerman, chairman of Association of Automotive Parts & Components Manufacturers in Bursa, said that 1.3 million vehicles are expected to be manufactured this year, reminding that last year`s figure was around 1.1 million.
He said more than 1 million of this year`s output would be shipped.
"Turkey`s automotive industry is quite successful this year despite economic risks. Exports soared 52 percent in the first four months of this year over the same period of last year to reach 8.99 million USD," Ozerman said.
This amount outpaces total exports made in 2003, he said.
Ozerman also said that capacity utilization in automotive industry reached 100 percent in 2008. He said total output of top three Turkish carmakers --TOFAS, Ford Otosan and Oyak Renault-- would exceed 1 million.
However, he said domestic sales dropped this year so far.
"Last year, nearly 641,000 cars were sold in domestic market. But we expect only 500,000 cars this year," he added.
(TÇ-AÖ)