IZMIR, Jan 8 (A.A) - Automotive Manufacturers' Association (OSD) Chairman Ali Ihsan Ilkbahar said that exports from the sector in 2001 had reached the 200,000 motor vehicles exportation target, increasing the exports target in 2002.
Ilkbahar told the A.A correspondent on Tuesday that total exports from the sector would exceed 250,000 motor vehicles this year.
Noting that he wasn't hopeful about the domestic market sales by the sector in 2002, Ilkbahar said, ''but increase in exports does not depend on this.''
Ilkbahar said, ''Turkish lira was devaluated and exportation could not rise due to the recession in the domestic market. The long-term target and the vision depend on increase in exports from the sector.''
Pointing out that the Turkish automotive sector's production capacity was 900,000 motor vehicles, Ilkbahar noted that only one-fourth of the capacity could be used.
There had been an increase in the exports from the sector in recent years and the sector would have the most successful year in 2002, he said.
Ilkbahar noted, ''the sector doubled exports in 2001 and exports reached 200,000 motor vehicles. This number will increase up to 250,000 in 2002. The most pleasing event of the sector is the increase in exportation.''
Noting that the automotive sector's income through exports had reached 3.8 billion U.S. dollars, Ilkbahar said that they would be ranked the second among the sectors making the highest exportation.
There would be recovery also in the by-industry in addition to main industry as a result of the increase in the exportation, preventing a decrease in production.
Ilkbahar said that a total of 130,000 automobiles and 90,000 commercial vehicles had been sold by the automotive sector as of the end of 2001.
Ilkbahar said that public finance had obtained a 3.5 billion U.S. dollars of tax income from sales in 2001.
Stating that sales in November and December had increased as a result of the decrease in tax rates, Ilkbahar said that they were not hopeful about the domestic market as there would be increase in tax rates in coming months.
Ilkbahar stated that 52 percent of the selling price of an automobile was comprised of taxes and added that the selling prices would increase more after sale of stocks by the sector.