Türkiye presents itself as a reliable sourcing alternative

The Turkish trade fair organiser Voli expects the Istanbul International Hardware Fair to attract more international visitors. The industry from emerging markets is also set to be more strongly represented. The tenth edition of the fair will take place from 18 to 21 November 2026 at the Istanbul Expo Centre – Yeşilköy.

A year ago, the Istanbul International Hardware Fair attracted 28,915 trade visitors, including 6,455 international buyers from 98 countries. On the exhibitor side, 375 companies were represented. Recently, the organisers have stepped up their efforts to attract trade visitors from regions such as Africa, Central Asia, the Pacific region and Latin America. This growing geographical reach confirms that Turkish hardware products are increasingly regarded as reliable and competitive alternatives within global supply chains, according to a statement.

In this context, the organisers highlight the growing importance of the Turkish hardware sector. According to their figures, metal products account for 6.1 per cent of the total turnover of Turkish industry. The sector recently exported machinery and mechanical equipment worth USD 25.91 bn. Iron and steel products contributed a further USD 9.70 bn to Türkiye’s export volume. The country’s total export volume most recently stood at USD 273.4 bn. The trade fair organisers explain that the hardware and tools sector benefits significantly from Türkiye’s strategic geographical location and its customs union with the European Union, which strengthens the country’s role as a reliable nearshoring location for European customers.

At the same time, Türkiye’s extensive trade, logistics and energy links with neighbouring regions offer excellent access to the markets of the Middle East and other surrounding markets. This dual orientation positions Türkiye not only as a conventional Middle Eastern economy, but as a ‘hybrid’ economic hub that combines industrial depth modelled on the European example with broad access to regional markets, according to the trade fair organiser.