The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and its prolongation over time could threaten Turkey's revenues generated from exports to countries in the region and tourism, amounting to about $38 billion, warns the Turkish newspaper “Ekonomim“, quoted by BTA.
In an article on the topic, published on the newspaper's website, “Ekonomim“ warns that if the war in the Middle East continues for more than three months, the consequences for the Turkish economy could be significant. The publication notes that, according to the latest data, Turkey's exports to the Middle East countries through the territory of Iran exceed $31 billion annually, while the number of tourists who came to Turkey in 2025 from the countries involved in the conflict exceeds 5.6 million people. According to estimates by “Economim“, these tourists generated more than $7 billion in revenue for the Turkish economy.
In its article, “Economim“ notes that the consequences of the conflict have already begun to be felt on the Turkish-Iranian border, and according to media reports, kilometer-long queues have begun to form at the border crossings between the two countries, although official authorities have not yet announced such a concentration. At the same time, the volume of goods for Iran in regional warehouses is rapidly increasing, and more and more orders for countries in the Middle East region are being refused, the media outlet also notes.
“Turkey's total exports for 2025 exceed $273 billion, and tourism revenues for 2025 are over $65 billion. In the worst-case scenario for the development of the conflict, Turkey could lose over 10 percent of its revenues from both directions. In addition, given the negative impact of the war on energy prices and tourism activity, the Turkish real sector could face serious difficulties due to increased costs and losses in markets“, the publication warns at the end of its material.