100th anniversary of Türkiye-Japan diplomatic ties crowned with record exports in 2024

The 100th anniversary of Türkiye-Japan diplomatic relations saw Turkish exports to Japan reach a record $717.6 million in 2024.

As part of the centennial celebrations, Japanese Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko paid an official visit to Türkiye last year. This was followed by a visit to Japan by Speaker of the Grand Assembly Numan Kurtulmus last month. Additionally, the 27th Türkiye-Japan Business Council took place in Tokyo in 2023.

Turkish exports to Japan, which stood at $441.2 million in 2020 during the pandemic, increased to $664.4 million in 2022. By 2024, this figure had surged 62.6% compared to 2020, driven by high-level meetings and intensified trade diplomacy.

Meanwhile, Japanese imports to Türkiye experienced a slight decline, amounting to $4.7 billion last year. The total trade volume between the two countries reached $5.5 billion in 2024.

As trade cooperation between Türkiye and Japan continues to grow under Türkiye's distant countries strategy, tourism collaboration has also expanded.

The number of Japanese tourists visiting Türkiye, which was 81,931 in 2018 and peaked at 103,320 in 2019, fell sharply to 19,122 in 2020 due to the pandemic and dropped further to 7,153 in 2021. However, it rebounded to 30,610 in 2022 and 78,782 in 2023, reaching a decade-high of 134,697 in 2024.

Ahmet Calik, chairperson of the Türkiye-Japan Business Council at the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), told Anadolu that Türkiye's distant countries strategy aims to strengthen the country's presence in Japan's supply chains and imports.

Calik stated that increased cooperation between Turkish and Japanese firms would contribute to balancing trade between the two nations while also enhancing the perception of Turkish brands in Japan. He pointed out that, when factoring in "re-exports," Türkiye's trade with Japan is not excessively imbalanced.

- Joint projects across various sectors

He emphasized that the two countries are engaged in joint projects across various sectors, including contracting and infrastructure, healthcare, automotive, food, steel, tunnels, and roads.

"There is common interest and demand by both Turkish and Japanese sides to carry out joint projects both in Türkiye and other third-party countries," he said. "Japanese representatives frequently express interest in such joint projects and strengthening cooperation in places like Europe, Ukraine, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa."

“We expect Türkiye to be a logistics, production, and service center for Japanese firms due to its strengthened ties with Europe via the Customs Union,” he added.

Calik noted that several forums and agreements were held last year to foster collaboration, highlighting key areas such as technology, infrastructure, construction, energy, and critical minerals.

“More than 250 Japanese firms have invested around $3.5 billion in Türkiye as work is underway to receive more investments, while the Türkiye-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will greatly benefit the two countries,” he said. “We believe the following period is key for new investment decisions, and it's important for Japanese investments to evaluate Türkiye in strategic and high-value-added, tech-intensive, and research and development-oriented areas.”

“The recent investment decisions by major Japanese firms in Türkiye, the establishment of R&D centers, and the tech-oriented approach are good indicators, and as these decisions become fruitful, investments will also rise,” he added.

Calik stated that the 29th Türkiye-Japan Business Council meeting is scheduled for October, while the Türkiye-Japan Energy Forum will take place later this year to further strengthen bilateral relations.

He also highlighted the importance of preparations in the tourism sector, emphasizing that Türkiye's promotional efforts in Japan will play a crucial role in attracting visitors.

“The most recent development in Türkiye-Japan tourism is the launch of All Nippon Airways' Tokyo-Istanbul direct flights,” he said. “Turkish Airlines' already ongoing flights and All Nippon Airways' new direct flight destination will result in more Japanese tourists and businesspeople coming to Türkiye, so the tourism potential is high, especially in cultural and gastro-tourism.”