IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY REPORT -TURKEY 

iron and steel industry overview Of Turkey

As the iron and steel industry supplies input to almost all manufacturing sectors, it plays an

important role in the industrialization and development of Turkey.

The foundations of the Turkish industrialization were laid in the 1930s. The first integrated

Iron and Steel Works (KARDEMIR) facility began to operate in Karabuk in 1939 when

Turkey produced raw steel for the first time. In order to meet the demand for flat products,

the second integrated plant, Eregli Iron and Steel Works (ERDEMIR) started production in

1965. In 1977, Iskenderun Iron and Steel Works (ISDEMIR), Turkey’s third integrated steel

mill, came into operation to meet the demand for long products and semi-products. After

the ‘80s, investments for the production of iron and steel by electric arc furnaces started.

The takeover of ISDEMIR by ERDEMIR on condition of its conversion to flat products,

which occurred as a result of liberalization in economic activities, was the most important

and recent development in the Turkish steel sector. The privatization of ISDEMIR in 2002,

which was the last state-owned facility, is also important as it steered the Turkish iron and

steel industry to be entirely operated by the private sector.

At present, the Turkish steel industry has 19 electric arc furnaces and three integrated

works, (KARDEMIR, ERDEMIR, ISDEMIR) with a total raw steel production capacity of

nearly 51.8 million tons per year.

In 2011 Turkey had a steel production capacity totaling 51.8 million tons, out of which

some 36.0 million tons or 69.5% was for long-steel products that are mostly used in the

construction sector. 15.8 million tons or 30.5% of the raw steel capacity is directed to flat

products.

Raw steel production in Turkey rose to 34.1 million tons and Turkey was the 10th largest

steel producing country in the world by the end of 2011. By product type, 71.6% of total

steel production was directed to long products and about 28.4% was for flat products in

2011. In terms of the production processes, 88% was electric arc furnace steel, and 12%

was oxygen (BOF) steel.

With the rise of new investment projects and capacity increases to production of flat steel

products, the flat/long steel production imbalance in Turkish steel industry has began to

change. While flat products’ share in total raw steel production was 14% in 2007, the share

rose to 28% in 2011 and while long products’ share in total raw steel production was 86%

in 2007, the share declined to 72% in 2011. 

Articles of Iron or Steel

Developments in the iron and steel sector have direct input on the growth of production in

iron or steel articles. At present Turkey produces a wide range of iron and steel articles

which meets almost all of the domestic demand. Among iron or steel articles, casting

products and steel pipes and tubes have significant importance. In kitchenware and

industrial kitchen products, Turkey has built a considerable capacity in recent years and

has increased the exports of these items.

With the continuous demand generated by the Turkish manufacturing industry, the casting

and forgings industry of Turkey has experienced booming development both in technology

and in market.

Turkish foundries, which are able to produce every kind of alloyed or unalloyed ferrous

castings, specialize in the production of cast parts for domestic industries. Concerning the

geographical distribution of the sector, the major foundries, which are all privately-owned,

are located in Istanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa, Eskisehir, Bilecik, Izmir and Ankara. Small scale

family-owned casting companies are widely spread in almost all regions of Turkey.

The remarkable increase in casting production and exports is due to the increasing

domestic and world demand and government policies which encouraged many

entrepreneurs to invest in the foundry sector. Turkish foundry men have managed to

improve productivity with the use of new technologies and attained low production cost

with high quality. The developing Turkish foundry industry is currently in a phase of

expansion and aims production at international standards. The casting industry in Turkey

is composed of 1,200 small, medium and large-sized foundries.

FOREIGN TRADE OF TURKEY

Exports

With the positive developments in economy in general, the iron and steel sector has

shown an increase in both exports and domestic demand. In 2011, steel exports reached 

about US$ 16.9 billion with a 26% growth.

Iron and steel long products with an export value of US$ 7.1 billion were the largest

product group in sector exports. Flat products with an export value of US$ 1.8 billion were

one of the largest product groups. Iron and steel pipes exports also ranked high with a

value of US$ 1.6 billion in 2011. The other important iron and steel products in exports

were steel billets (US$ 1.5 billion) and structural steel and parts (US$ 1.1 million).

Among the markets that Turkish steel products are exported, the EU and Middle East are 

the primary export markets. In 2011, major markets for Turkish steel exports were Iraq with

a share of 8%, the UAE with a share of 6%, Italy with a share of 6%, S. Arabia with a

share of 5%, and Germany with a share of 4%.

TRADE FAIRS

􀂃 WIN METAL WORKING'12 17TH MACHINE COMPONENTS AND METAL
WORKING FAIR

Metal Working Machinery, Special and Non - Metal Working Machinery, Machine

Components, Hand Tools, Factory and Shop Floor Equipment 02.02.2011 -

05.02.2011 in Istanbul

􀂃 WIN WELDING '12 12TH JOINING, WELDING AND CUTTING TECHNOLOGIES FAIR

Welding and cutting machinery and equipment, welding automation systems, welding

and filling materials and welding services fair.

02.02.2011 - 05.02.2011 in Istanbul

􀂃 WIN SURFACE TREATMENT '12 6. SURFACE TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES

FAIR

Surface Cleaning and Pre-Treatment Equipment, Paint and Plastics Coating Systems,

Galvanization Systems, Special Surface Coating Technologies, Paint

02.02.2011 - 05.02.2011 in Istanbul

􀂃 LOGISTICS EXHIBITION

Rail Rolling Stock and Light Rail Systems Materials, Railway Logistics, Human and

Freight Transportation

08.03.2012 - 10.03.2012 in Istanbul

􀂃 3T ' 2012 10. INTERNATIONAL METAL WORKING, MOULD AND AUTOMATION

TECHNOLOGIES FAIR

Metal Working Machines, Mold and Moulding Systems, Automation Technologies

08.03.2012 - 11.03.2012 in Izmir

􀂃 MACHINERY, METAL PROCESSING, AUTOMATION TRADE FAIR

Metal Processing and Automation Equipment with All Their Parts

15.03.2012 - 18.03.2012 in Ankara

􀂃 MIDDLE EAST 3. MANUFACTURING MACHINES AND RELATED INDUSTRIES

FAIR 2012

Manufacturing Machines and Related Industries

29.03.2012 - 01.04.2012 in Diyarbakir

􀂃 WIN HYDRAULIC AND PNEUMATIC'12 9TH FLUID POWER TECHNOLOGIES FAIR

Oil Hydraulic Systems and Components, Lubrication Systems, Water Hydraulic

Systems and Components, Pneumatic Systems And Components Oil for Machinery

And Hydraulics, Hydraulic and Pneumatic Services

29.03.2012 - 01.04.2012 in Istanbul

􀂃 KONMAK 2012 - KONYA 9. INTERNATIONAL METAL PROCESSING MACHINES,

WELDING, DRILLING, CUTTING TECHNOLOGIES, MATERIALS AND HAND

TOOLS, HYDRAULIC AND PNEUMATIC FAIR

Metal Processing Machines, Welding, Drilling, Cutting Technologies, Materials and

Hand Tools, Hydraulic and Pneumatic

26.04.2012 - 29.04.2012 in Konya

􀂃 MOULD EURASIA 2012

Mould Technologies, Related Industry.

10.05.2012 - 13.05.2012 in Bursa

􀂃 ANKIROS 2012 11. INTERNATIONAL IRON - STEEL & FOUNDRY TECHNOLOGY,

MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS TRADE FAIR

Raw Material, Machinery, Equipment, Technology, Products and Services.

13.09.2012 - 16.09.2012 in Istanbul

􀂃 ANNOFER 2012 10. INTERNATIONAL NON - FERROUS METALS TECHNOLOGY,

MACHINERY AND PRODUCTS TRADE FAIR

Raw Material, Machinery, Equipment, Technology, Products and Services

13.09.2012 - 16.09.2012 in Istanbul

􀂃 TURKCAST 2012 5. FOUNDRY PRODUCTS TRADE FAIR

Casting Technology, All Kinds of Metal Casting Products

13.09.2012 - 16.09.2012 in Istanbul

􀂃 TATEF 2012 14. INTERNATIONAL METALWORKING TECHNOLOGIES

EXHIBITION

CNC Machine Tools / Cutting And Forming Tools / Cad - Cam / Sheet Metal

Processing Machines / Surface Treatment Technologies / Automation / Hydraulic &

Pneumatic

02.10.2012 - 07.10.2012 in Istanbul

􀂃 MAKTEK EURASIA 2012

Machine Tools, Metal Processing Machines, Welding, Cutting, Drilling, Quality Control,

Test and Measuring Equipments

02.10.2012 - 07.10.2012 in Istanbul

􀂃 9TH YAPEX WINDOOR FAIR

Window - Door Systems, Stores and Shutters, Automatic Doors, Barriers

18.10.2012 - 21.10.2012 in Antalya

􀂃 BURSA 11. METAL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES FAIR

Metal Processing Machines, Welding, Cutting, Drilling Technologies, Hand Tools,

Pneumatic, Hydraulic

06.12.2012 - 09.12.2012 in Bursa

􀂃 BURSA 4. SHEET METAL PROCESSING TECHOLOGIES FAIR 2012

Sheet Metal, Pipe Profile Processing Technologies and Side Industries

06.12.2012 - 09.12.2012 in Bursa 

USEFUL LINKS 

􀂃 Turkish Iron and Steel Producers Association
www.dcud.org.tr 

􀂃 The European Steel Association
www.eurofer.org 

􀂃 World Steel Association

www.worldsteel.org 

􀂃 Turkish Structural Steel Association
www.tucsa.org

􀂃 Turkish Steel Pipe Manufacturers Association

www.cebid.org.tr 

􀂃 Turkish Steel Exporters’ Association

http://www.immib.org.tr/en/associations-turkish-steel-exporters-association.html