Istanbul, July 5 — Yeşim Tekstil, a major player in the textile industry with significant operations in Egypt, has been named Turkey’s top exporter in the apparel and ready-wear sector, ending LC Waikiki’s multi-year reign. The announcement was made during the “Export Champions” award ceremony held in Istanbul on Monday, where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally presented awards to Turkey’s leading exporters of 2024.
The ceremony, hosted at the Haliç Congress Center, honored companies that made the largest contributions to Turkey’s $377 billion in goods and services exports this year. Business leaders including Ali Koç and Ahmet Zorlu were among the attendees.
A New Leader in Apparel Exports
For the first time, Yeşim Sales Stores and Textile Factories took the top spot in the ready-to-wear and apparel export category. Last year’s titleholder was LC Waikiki Foreign Trade.
CEO Şankaya: “Proud to Support Our Country’s Export Goals”
Yeşim Group CEO Şenol Şankaya described the win as a major morale boost for the company and pledged to sustain their leadership in the sector:
“This success is the result of collective effort from all our employees and business partners. By aligning with customer expectations and focusing on sustainability and efficiency, we are proud to contribute to our nation’s export objectives.”
Şankaya accepted the award alongside his sons, Selim and Murat. He noted that Selim serves as CEO of their Egypt operations, while Murat recently completed his master’s degree in the U.S. and joined the company in May.
Leading in Egypt as Well
Yeşim has also been the export leader in Egypt for the past four years, operating under the name Jade Textile across three regions since 2019. The company currently employs nearly 11,000 people in Egypt, with plans to expand this to 20,000 by 2030.
Yeşim and LC Waikiki were among the first Turkish firms to invest in Egypt, where Turkish companies now account for approximately one-third of the country’s textile and apparel exports.
LC Waikiki Responds: “What Matters Is Growing National Production”
LC Waikiki, which employs around 5,000 people in Egypt across production facilities and retail outlets, responded graciously to the change in rankings.
Speaking about Yeşim’s win, LC Waikiki Chairman Vahap Küçük said:
“Yeşim is a valued brand of our country, and Şenol Şankaya is a dear friend. We are even partners in Egypt. We never claimed we would always be the leader. What matters is increasing production and exports in our country. Who wins the award is not the important thing.”
The friendly rivalry underscores the strong export performance of Turkish companies, both at home and abroad, particularly in strategic markets like Egypt.
Source: Patronlar Dünyası/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök