A delegation led by Xu Yingxin, Vice President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, conducted an in-depth survey of Turkey's textile industry from June 21 to 26. The team visited three core production hubs—Denizli, Izmir, and Istanbul—for face-to-face exchanges with local trade associations and leading enterprises. This visit signals a clear shift: amid global supply chain restructuring, collaboration between China and Turkey is moving from trade flows to deeper integration in capacity and technology.
On-the-Ground Realities: Supply Chain Profiles from Denizli to the Aegean
Denizli, a heavyweight in home textile manufacturing, exports approximately $5 billion annually. The region holds 78% of Turkey's towel exports, with bathrobe and bedding shares at 66% and 62% respectively. Products reach over 120 countries including Germany, the US, and Italy. Data from the Denizli Exporters' Association shows local production has passed international certifications, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern manufacturing to create a unique competitive edge in high-end home textiles.
Moving to the Aegean region, this area is a major hub for knitted and woven garments and organic textiles. The Aegean Exporters' Association represents 2,000 member companies with combined annual exports of about $2 billion, supporting 860,000 jobs—over 45% of which are held by women. Garments are primarily shipped to Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands, while textile raw materials head to China, Jordan, and Vietnam. The region's professional design teams and developed transport infrastructure provide a foundation for rapid response to European orders.
Benchmark Enterprises: Competitive Barriers in High-End Fabrics and Brand Retail
In Izmir, the delegation visited SÖKTAŞ, a high-end shirting fabric producer. The company produces 6 million meters of fabric annually at an average price of €7.40 per meter, supplying global luxury brands such as LVMH, Gucci Group, and Hugo Boss. No single customer accounts for more than 13% of revenue, ensuring a stable growth model. Notably, SÖKTAŞ has built an archive of over 500,000 fabric designs and boosted renewable energy usage to 78% via a 4.2 MW solar facility, significantly cutting carbon emissions, water use, and energy consumption per unit of output.
Around Istanbul, another side of Turkey's textile industry emerges. LUFIAN Group, which transitioned from OEM to own-brand retail, operates over 100 stores in Turkey with annual revenue of roughly $350 million, spanning 20+ countries. The denim brand Colin's, under Eroglu Group, runs 600+ stores across 23 countries with over 5,700 employees. These transformation paths show Turkey's textile sector moving from manufacturing toward branding, building new competitive barriers in the mid-to-high-end market.
Logic of Sino-Turkish Cooperation: Green Transformation and Supply Chain Complementarity
Turkey's investments in organic cotton, recycled fibers, and sustainable manufacturing align closely with China's push during the 15th Five-Year Plan toward high-end, intelligent, and green industry. Xu Yingxin noted during exchanges that Denizli's blend of traditional industrial heritage with modern manufacturing mirrors the development path of Chinese textile clusters. Clear collaboration opportunities exist in textile machinery, fashion design, digital marketing, and brand promotion.
For Chinese buyers and trading firms, Turkey's geographic location and EU market access make it an ideal hub for nearshoring and supply chain diversification. However, Turkey's textile sector also faces global demand weakness and rising costs. Cooperation should not be simple capacity transfer but should focus on technology equipment exports, green standard alignment, and joint brand development.