Türkiye

The lesson of the current US tariffs crisis roiling the trade world is this: you cannot keep relying on one country as your export destination. From now on it has to be ‘US Plus One’.

As part of International Labour Organization’s (ILO) work in driving advancement of formal and inclusive sustainable textile practices within Türkiye's green economy, the former has partnered with a women’s cooperative to promote eco-friendly textiles and raise awareness about the detrimental impacts of fast fashion.

It was a seismological shift for workers post the February 2023 quake in Turkiye as the majority of those impacted were left to fend for themselves both by the factories and brands they laboured for, alleges a report by advocacy group Clean Clothes Campaign. 

At least 16 global fashion brands were mute observers to the February 2023 tremblor that devastated parts of Turkiye with only 2 taking some steps to ameliorate working conditions from the 200+ suppliers they source from.

It's one of the very few companies in the world that are on track on their circularity path. Denim leader Isko plans to produce 85% of its entire fabric production with recycled materials by 2023. It's more or less there. Isko would be present at Denim Première Vision - Berlin later this week. Baris Ozden, Product Development Manager and Daniel Merino, Project Manager (Circularity) talk about trends and recent events.

In early February, southern Türkiye and northern Syria were devasted by a series of earthquakes, with the most severe reaching 7.8 on the Richter scale. Over 1,600 garment and close to 1,300 textile companies operate in the 11 affected provinces, with a third of the country's apparel and textile workers employed here. As Türkiye's textiles-apparel industry steps out of the ruins, it is in dire need of business.

Asos, Bestseller, H&M, G-Star Raw, Inditex, C&A are among global 19 brands who have agreed to exhort garment and textile factories in Turkey to respect workers’ rights.

Expanding bilateral ties, a Bangladesh-Türkiye Business Forum (BTBF) has been formed to support trade, investments, and cultural activities and also act as an advocacy platform.

Founded in 1953, Orta transformed from a spinning & weaving company to a denim manufacturer in 1985. Today, Orta operates in Turkey with its 1000+ employees, creating a platform for leading manufacturers to step up and reclaim a denim industry where more aesthetics leads to more ethics. Orta’s Sustainability Consultant N Sebla Önder dwells at length on a holistic approach into creating eco-positive denim.

Established in 1951, Bossa is one of the largest integrated textile corporations of Turkey with its facility in Adana. General Manager Onur Duru talks about Bossa's production philoshophy and the drivers that are changing the denim sector.