A significant structural change has been observed in the exportation of Turkey in the years of 1980s. The share of the exportation of agricultural products in the total exports was 75% in the year of 1970 and 57% in the year of 1980. These high levels decreased to the rate of 18.7% in the year of1998. The share of the exportation of industrial goods was 18% in the year of 1970 and 36% in the year of 1980. These low rates have rapidly increased to the rate of 77.4% in the year of 1998. Furthermore, in the period after the year of 1980, there has been a change in favour of the industries that were not based on agriculture in the combination of the products in the export of manufacture industry. This development has been considered appropriate and suitable with the structural reform towards industrialisation that has been experienced in the economical structure of Turkey. Considering the structure of importation in Turkey, it has been observed that the share of the importation of investment and raw materials has been over the annual average rate of 85% in the years of 1990s as a natural consequence of the efforts for the economical development and industrialisation.
As a result of the liberal policies followed in the recent years, the share of the consumption goods in the importation of Turkey has increased gradually. It has increased from the low rate of 2% in the beginning of the years of 1980s to the rates of 8-9% in the years of 1985 and this rate has exceeded the average rate of 12% in the years of 1990s.
Turkey is considered within the first lines in the world trade in respect of some goods and products. Its share in the world export in respect of the goods such as ready-made clothing, tobacco, some metals, fruit and dried fruits, etc changes within the range of 5-10%.
Turkey has much more trading relations with OECD countries traditionally. In the exportation and importation of Turkey, OECD countries have had the share rates of 62.9% and 72.9% respectively in the year of 1998. The states of European Union (EU) take an important place within OECD countries. The share of EU countries in the total export realised as 46.6 % in the year of 1997. This rate has increased to the rate of 50% in the year of 1998 and exportation figure that has been realised is 13.5 billion dollars. In the same year, the importation from the EU countries has had the share of 52.4% of the total importation rate. As it can be observed, OECD and EU countries have an important and permanent place in the foreign trade of Turkey.