Statistics released by the Turkish Exporters Board show an increase of 13.8% in exports of leather and leather products for the first 6 months of 2001. For June alone, exports were $53.3 million – a 4.7% improvement on last time.

Mehmet Buyukekski, president of IDMIB (the union of exporters of leather and leather products) put the positive results down to leather becoming more fashionable and devaluation making Turkish products better value for money. He said he was confident that the growth could be maintained, referring to the higher level of exports achieved prior to the Russian economic crisis of 1998.