According to data from the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters Union (GAİB), exports from southeastern exporters decreased by 1 percent in 2009, a relatively small decrease compared to the 23 percent dive for the entire country. In the first two weeks of the year, however, exporters in the least developed region of the country showed that 2010 would be a year of healthy growth in exports for the region, with a 29 percent increase in exports for the first half of January compared to 2009, or $172.9 million in exports compared to $134.8 million in 2008.
Head of the GAİB board of directors Abdulkadir Çıkmaz, speaking to the Anatolia news agency about this performance, said they had started the year on the right foot and hoped to reach their target of $5.5 billion in exports by the end of the year. Exports hit approximately $3.9 billion in 2008 and $3.86 billion in 2009.
