100 Years of Turkey Steel Sector – 1923-2023

The steel industry has an important place in the economies of Turkey and the world. After the establishment of the Republic, Turkey made breakthroughs in different sectors within the scope of economic reforms. However, there was no intense investment in the steel industry in the early years. One of the significant investments was made in Kırıkkale in 1928 for military purposes, to meet the needs of the defense industry.

In the following years, integrated factories began to be established. The first of these took place in 1939. In the following years, the number of integrated factories gradually increased. Currently, after the increase in recent years, Turkey ranks 7th in the world as of 2022. The largest steel companies in Turkey are clustered in 4 main regions as crude steel. These are:

Steel today, with mass production and developing technological production methods, while its quality has increased, its cost has decreased. Although there are periodic ups and downs, it is a sector that has been growing continuously since the 17th century. In addition, the modern steel industry has been classified by international organizations according to quality standards.

In the last quarter of 2022, according to the world steel association worldsteel, Turkey maintains its 7th place ahead of Germany. According to the data for the first 9 months, the share of the iron and steel industry in Turkey’s total exports in 2022 was 16.7%. The steel industry, on the other hand, continues to undergo transformations within itself. For example, the steel used in construction, which was 60% in 2011, is expected to be 64% in 2025. The steel production for machinery is expected to be 15% and for transport 17%. Construction demand is the most important market of the steel industry in almost all countries. In addition, as of December 2022, it is expected that Turkey’s exports to the United States will increase as the import duties of the USA are found unfair by the World Trade Organization.

In 2023, Turkey’s iron and steel industry is expected to expand. Global demands are increasing day by day. Another issue that needs to be prioritized is the producers must follow in accordance with the laws on carbon emissions by the European Union. Steel is an unlimited recyclable material and allows green production. If the production methods are regulated in an environmentalist way, it is highly possible for it to be a completely sustainable sector.