Top 10 Turkish Food Products Taking Over Global Markets

Türkiye is blessed with a strategic geographical location and diverse climate, endowing it with enormous agricultural wealth and making it an indispensable "food basket" in global trade.

 Türkiye is no longer just a local producer; it has become a major exporting power, with the food and beverage sector continuing its record performance, surpassing $13.4 billion USD in revenue in the first half of 2025 alone, reflecting the growing global demand for Turkish quality.

In this report, we introduce you to the top 10 Turkish food products that are taking over global markets.

Part I: The Top 10 Turkish Food Export Products and Their Importance

These ten categories achieve the highest export revenues for the country:

• Hazelnuts: The most important product overall. Türkiye is the world's largest producer and exporter, with export revenues exceeding $2.5 billion in the 2024-2025 season. Turkish hazelnuts are an essential ingredient in the high-end European chocolate and confectionery industries.

• Pasta and Cereal Products: Thanks to its advanced industrial infrastructure, Türkiye is one of the world's largest exporters of pasta, alongside significant exports of flour and semolina.

• Dried Fruits: Türkiye dominates the global export of dried apricots and dried figs. These fruits are highly sought after in the European food and bakery industries for their natural quality.

• Fresh Vegetables: Primarily includes tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. Thanks to modern greenhouse farming, exports of these vegetables saw remarkable growth, exceeding 10% in the first half of 2025.

• Sugar and Confectionery: This category, which includes Turkish Delight (Lokum), biscuits, and sweets, recorded the highest growth rate in food exports during the first half of 2025.

• Olive Oil and Vegetable Oils: Türkiye is a major source of high-quality virgin olive oil, in addition to other vegetable oils like sunflower oil, prized in both European and Middle Eastern markets.

• Canned Fruit and Vegetable Preparations: This includes high-value-added products such as tomato pastes, jams, and pickles, essential for meeting the needs of global supply chains throughout the year.

• Dried Pulses and Unprocessed Grains: Türkiye is a large exporter of essential staples like lentils, chickpeas, and beans, which are particularly high in demand across the Middle East and North Africa.

• Citrus and Fresh Fruits: Exports include large quantities of oranges, lemons, and mandarins, as well as other fruits like grapes and cherries.

• Aquaculture Products (Fish): Türkiye is a leader in fish farming, exporting substantial amounts of sea bass and sea bream (fresh or frozen) to European markets.

Part II: Key Importing Countries for Turkish Products (Focus on Arab Markets)

Arab nations are among Türkiye's most crucial trading partners, accounting for about 18.4% of Türkiye’s total exports in 2024.

The Top 5 Arab Countries Importing Turkish Products (Overall Exports):

(While these figures represent overall Turkish exports, food products constitute a major portion, especially in the Iraqi market.)

Top Global Importers of Agricultural and Food Sector Products (First Half 2025):

• 1. Iraq: ($1.544 billion)

• 2. Germany: ($990.5 million)

• 3. United States of America: ($905.3 million)

This strategic distribution shows that Arab countries, especially Iraq, are at the forefront of the markets relying on Türkiye to secure their basic food needs.