Turkey’s apple exports to Russia rise 3.8-fold to $2.2 million in June
Turkey exported $2.2 million worth of apples to Russia in June, 3.8 times the May value and 8% more than a year earlier. Despite the monthly increase, first-half shipments fell 27% year on year to $3.3 million.
June sales reach highest level since July 2025
Turkey increased the value of its apple exports to Russia 3.8-fold in June compared with May, reaching $2.2 million. The result was the highest monthly level since July 2025, according to Turkish Statistical Institute data reviewed by RIA Novosti and reported by Life.ru.
June shipments were also 8% higher than in the same month a year earlier. The sharp month-on-month rise put Russia among the leading foreign markets for Turkish apples, although the accumulated results for the first six months remained weaker than in the previous year.
First-half exports remain below last year
From January through June, Turkey exported $3.3 million worth of apples to Russia, a decline of 27% year on year. The figures indicate that June accounted for two-thirds of the first-half export value and therefore represented a pronounced concentration of sales at the end of the period.
The difference between the June result and the six-month trend is significant for producers and traders assessing Russian demand. A strong single month improved the near-term picture, but it did not offset the weaker shipments recorded over the rest of the half-year. The source data provide export values rather than physical tonnage, so they do not show how much of the change came from shipment volumes and how much reflected prices or the product mix.
Iraq leads Turkey’s overseas apple markets
Turkey’s total apple exports reached $23.7 million in June. Iraq was the largest buyer, purchasing $17.5 million worth, while Russia ranked second with $2.2 million. India bought Turkish apples valued at $1.33 million and Lebanon purchased $1.26 million. Shipments to Syria reached $546,000.
These figures show that Iraq dominated Turkey’s apple trade during the month, accounting for almost three-quarters of the reported export value. Russia’s second-place position nevertheless makes its purchasing pattern relevant for Turkish growers, packers and exporters, particularly after the steep increase from May.
Pear trade and competing apple supply
Turkey also supplied pears to Russia, but at a much smaller value. June pear exports were slightly above $30,000, compared with $74,000 in May and $35,000 in June of the previous year. Across the first half, Turkish pear exports to Russia totaled $1.1 million.
Russia was also buying more apples from Georgia shortly before the increase in Turkish shipments. In May 2026, Russian purchases of Georgian apples rose more than fivefold year on year to $1.9 million, from $346,100 a year earlier. Georgia also exported apples to Turkey, Armenia and Iraq, but the value sent to each of those markets was lower than its sales to Russia. For market participants, the parallel supply from Turkey and Georgia highlights the role of regional origins in meeting Russian apple demand, while the contrasting monthly and half-year Turkish figures caution against treating June’s rise as a settled annual trend.
