Organized by the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association (TGSD) and regarded as the largest gathering of the sector, the Istanbul Apparel Conference was successfully completed, offering renewed hope to the textile and apparel industries struggling with recent challenges. The 18th edition, held under the theme “Compass for a New Order” at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski, was opened by TGSD President Toygar Narbay, ITHIB President Ahmet Öksüz, and IHKIB Vice President Mustafa Paşahan, while TIM President Mustafa Gültepe delivered a video message. The two-day conference, held on October 7–8, explored the four key routes shaping the Compass for a New Order — new economic balances, new markets, innovation, and branding — from various perspectives. It was reported that the B2B meetings between producers and buyers on October 8 were highly productive and made a positive contribution to the sector’s business volume.
TGSD President Toygar Narbay noted that the conference has been organized since 2008, emphasizing that since then, almost all globally known rules have been rewritten. He stated that Türkiye possesses a strong foundation in fields such as apparel, textile, fashion, tourism, gastronomy, and TV series–film production. Stressing the need to create a “Türkiye Brand” through collaboration across the entire supply chain and brands, Narbay evaluated the current state of the industry as follows:
“We are nearing the end of the challenging period we have been experiencing for the past three years. The year 2026 will be one in which global apparel trade maintains its current position and regains balance. From 2027 onward, we expect it to return to the 2022 levels, when it reached its peak. If the necessary support is provided, Türkiye’s apparel and textile industries may begin to recover their losses. However, without such support, we could diverge negatively from global apparel trade.”
Apparel and textile: the insurance of employment
Pointing to a major transformation that will reshape the business world toward 2030, Narbay explained that reports from the World Economic Forum and data from the World Bank reflect this change. “A similar outlook exists in Türkiye: the share of goods and services exports in GDP is declining each year. While this ratio was 27.2% in 2022, it dropped to 18.7% in 2024. According to the Medium-Term Program (OVP), it will fall further to 16.4% by 2028. At this point, we must ask: as artificial intelligence and robotic technologies rapidly spread across services, how will we prevent the potential wave of unemployment that may arise in that field? In a deindustrialized economy, how will this additional idle workforce be absorbed? Although the apparel and textile industries are digitalizing, they remain the leading sources of employment. Even in a world where dark factories dominate manufacturing and robots take over services, there is still a human hand operating every machine. For this reason, apparel and textile are the insurance of employment. These two industries currently provide jobs for 850,000 people, represent over 40 billion dollars in investment, exceed USD 27 billion in exports, and possess a production capacity worth more than 45 billion dollars. This reality must not be overlooked. To sacrifice apparel and textile is to sacrifice our future,” he said.
Türkiye’s apparel and textile industries carry significance beyond production power
TGSD Co-Chair Dr. Ümit Özüren stated that Türkiye’s apparel and textile industries demonstrate their importance not only through production capacity but also through the value they create, their contribution to employment, and the benefits they provide to society. “Our journey that began with fabric and yarn is evolving into a process in which we weave the future. Every product carries labor, dedication, and hope for tomorrow. With our deep-rooted experience, strong production capacity, young population, and innovative spirit, we are ready to overcome upcoming challenges and strengthen our position in global competition. As long as we move forward together, we will not lose our way — and as Türkiye’s apparel industry, we will continue to leave a lasting mark on the world of tomorrow.”
Throughout the conference, sessions covered a wide range of topics from design to production, finance to retail, and the fashion segments of the apparel and textile industries. The sessions featuring prominent names from the sector drew close attention from participants. The event stood out with its focus on key themes such as digitalization, sustainability, and branding.