Turkey's automotive exports up to 1.61 bln USD in January

BURSA (A.A) - Turkey's automotive exports were up to 1.61 billion USD in January 2012, Uludag Automotive Industry Exporters' Association (OIB) said on Tuesday. OIB's chairman Orhan Sabuncu said automotive exports, which were 1 billion USD in January 2009, rose to 1.61 billion USD in 2012. "This has been the best beginning we have ever made in the last four years," Sabuncu said. Sabuncu said Turkey's automotive exports to Turkic republics rose 133 percent in the mentioned period, while exports to Asia and Oceania were up 21 percent. Turkey's automotive exports to former East Bloc countries were down 19 percent, Sabuncu said. Sabuncu said automotive exports to European Union (EU) member states had 71 percent share in overall automotive exports in January 2012.