Ford Tourneo Courier light commercial vehicles on the production line at the Ford Otosan Yenikoy car plant in Türkiye. File photo.
Istanbul: Türkiye's automotive industry experienced a slowdown in both production and market performance in January, compared to the same month last year, the Automotive Industry Association (OSD) reported on Monday.
According to OSD's monthly report, the total production in January fell by 3 percent year-on-year to 105,397 units. While passenger car production saw a slight increase of 1 percent, reaching 67,795 units, the production of light commercial vehicles dropped by 3 percent, and heavy commercial vehicle production suffered a significant 51 percent decline.
The market also faced a downturn, with total sales falling by 15 percent to 70,412 units.
The passenger car market declined by 13 percent. In comparison, the commercial vehicle market dropped by 22 percent, with heavy commercial vehicle sales down by 38 percent and light commercial vehicle sales decreasing by 19 percent.
Despite the domestic downturn, total automotive exports increased by 4 percent in terms of units on an annual basis.
According to a Feb. 11 article in Forbes Türkiye, the Turkish automotive industry faces significant risks in 2025 due to a slowdown in the European market and idle production capacity. In a statement made last November, OSD President Cengiz Eroldu warned that excess vehicles from the shrinking European market could be redirected to Türkiye, potentially negatively impacting the local market and production in 2025.
In 2024, the Turkish automotive industry experienced a notable decline in production, with total output falling by seven percent to 1.41 million units. However, export performance remained strong, with the sector generating 37.2 billion U.S. dollars in export revenue, a 6 percent increase from the previous year, according to the OSD.
