Textiles is the most important industry in the Turkish economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment and exports. Many statistics show that textiles account for 10.6 % of the Turkish GDP and 20% of manufacturing employment. Also, textile/clothing exports have the largest share in Turkish exports (34 %) in dollar terms. Turkish textile and clothing exports reached 12 billion dollars in 2002. Turkey is among the world’s leading textile producers, being the sixth largest clothing and the thirteenth largest textile exporter in the world.

Turkey's textile industry is based on locally-grown cotton. Turkey, a traditional cotton grower, is now the world's sixth largest cotton producer. In the 2002/2003 season, the amount of cotton grown in Turkey was estimated at 950.000 tons. With the completion of the South Anatolia Project (GAP) in southeastern Turkey, cotton production is expected to nearly double.

As a quality cotton-producing country, Turkey has integrated and diversified production in all sub-sectors of the textile industry, produces and exports all types of yarns, fabrics, clothing, household textiles and other ready-made products. This means a huge textile machinery park and a large and continuous demand for textile machinery.

The strong textile industry in Turkey initiated the development of the textile machinery and equipment industry. Until 1980 nearly all textile machinery and equipment were imported.

However, starting in 1980 some local production of small and medium-sized low-tech machinery began. At present, the line of products manufactured by the companies varies substantially from highly automated equipment to basic models and local producers are able to compete with the imported advanced machinery in most machinery categories, such as atmospheric jet dyeing (overflow) or blow dyeing machinery.

The majority of textile machinery and equipment manufacturers in Turkey range from small to medium sized companies mainly located in Istanbul and Izmir. Due to the increase in demand for Turkish textiles and clothing, especially for high-end products, textile and clothing companies want to boost their production through installing more efficient and sophisticated machines with high technology into their production lines. Turkish companies who are aware of this fact are in search of joint ventures for this huge market. Krantz of Germany and Inter Servis of Turkey was a recent good example of such collaboration.

The Turkish machinery industry has recorded a substantial increase in exports compared to Turkey’s overall exports. In 2002 the export value of the machinery industry was 2.1 billion Dollars, showing a 21.7 % increase compared with 2001 figures. Its share in total exports was 6 % in 2002. Textile machinery and equipment exports have increased rapidly for since five years and reached 47.1 million dollars with a share of 2.2 % in total machinery exports in 2002.

The Turkish textile machinery industry sector has an integral role to play in the growth of Turkish textile exports. Besides supplying the Turkish domestic market the textile machinery and equipment industry also has great importance for Turkey due to its promising export potential. Turkish exports of textile machinery and equipment consists mainly of: Machinery (other than machines under heading 8450) for washing, cleaning, wringing, drying, ironing, pressing (including fusing presses), bleaching, dyeing, dressing, finishing, coating or impregnating textile yarns, fabrics or made-up textile articles and machines for applying the paste to the base fabric or other support used in the manufacture of floor coverings such as linoleum; machines for reeling, unreeling, folding, cutting or pinking textile fabrics.

At present, the Turkish textile machinery and equipment industry is the most modern in the Middle East, North Africa, Balkans, Baltic and Central Asia and produces machinery and equipment required for the textile industry and all parts and accessories. The sector exports are directed to about 100 countries. Major markets in order of rank are Germany, Syria, Iran, Bangladesh, Egypt, Switzerland and Romania. High engineering skills, product flexibility, continuous product development and adaptation, and efficient after-sales-services enable Turkey to export Turkish made textile machinery and equipment all over the world at an increasing rate.

The Turkish textile machinery manufacturers/exporters follow European and international standards and norms. Companies exporting to the European Union affix the “CE Mark” under the “New Approach” Directives. The obligation to affix the “CE Mark” also started in the Turkish domestic market in 2002.

The products of the Turkish textile machinery and equipment industry are exhibited in international and national fairs organized in Turkey.