Turkey’s seafood and animal-product exports exceed $1.9 billion in H1 2026

Sector exports reach $1.904 billion

Turkey’s seafood and animal-product exports totaled $1.904 billion in the first half of 2026, according to figures released by the Aegean Exporters’ Associations and reported by Akşam. The result provides an early benchmark for a sector seeking to lift annual exports to $4.3 billion in 2026.

The Aegean Seafood and Animal Products Exporters’ Association generated $949 million during the same period. Its exports increased by 16% from the first half of the previous year, demonstrating faster momentum within the country’s main regional exporting organization.

Ufuk Atakan Demir, chairman of the Aegean association, said the organization maintained its leading position in Turkey’s sector exports. Its $949 million total represented approximately half of the nationwide figure, leaving the Aegean region central to the sector’s performance and its ability to meet national targets.

Second-half performance will determine the annual result

The national target of $4.3 billion for 2026 requires exports of about $2.396 billion in the second half, based on the first-half result. That would be higher than the $1.904 billion recorded in the opening six months, making the pace of sales during the remainder of the year decisive.

The Aegean association is targeting $2 billion in exports by year-end. After reaching $949 million in the first half, it would need to generate a further $1.051 billion during the second half. The target therefore implies a stronger nominal result than in the first six months, although the association did not provide a product-by-product or destination breakdown.

For producers, processors and traders, the figures indicate that regional export capacity remains highly concentrated. The Aegean organization’s roughly 50% share means changes in orders, production availability or market access among its members can have a material effect on Turkey’s national sector total.

Seafood promotion supports longer-term targets

Turkey has set a broader sector export target of $5 billion for 2030. Within seafood specifically, the country aims to reach $2.7 billion in exports in 2027 and $3.5 billion in 2030, according to Demir. These targets place seafood at the center of the sector’s longer-term international sales strategy.

Demir said the Aegean association would continue an intensive international promotion program during the second half of 2026 to support those objectives. The available figures do not identify individual products, destination markets, prices or shipment volumes, so the first-half performance can be assessed only by export value. Even so, the gap between the first-half result and the annual targets gives exporters and market analysts a clear measure of the revenue that must be secured before year-end.