The latest data on industrial production in Türkiye revealed the differences between sectors. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), industrial production increased by 2.1 percent in September compared to the previous month and by 2.6 percent compared to the same month last year. However, in the third quarter, covering July, August and September, production decreased by 1.8 percent compared to the previous three-month period. It was revealed that the increase in September was due to some production areas, especially the defense industry, while the weakness in traditional industrial branches continued.
IMPACT OF TWO SECTORS
Although industrial production appeared to have increased in September, most of this increase stemmed from a few sectors. There was a remarkable increase in the production of aircraft, ships and other transportation vehicles, especially including the defense industry. While production in this area decreased by 26 percent in August compared to the same period last year, it increased by 34.7 percent in September. The increase in the production of computer and electronic products also increased the overall figures. However, a similar revival was not seen in other areas of the industry. According to Akbank’s calculations, when these two sectors were not taken into account, the monthly increase in industrial production was only 0.68 percent, not 2.1 percent. In other words, most of the recovery seen in the industry in September came from two sectors.
LOST IN CLOTHING AND MACHINERY
In other areas of industry, production continued to decline. In September, ready-made clothing production decreased by 11.5 percent, metal goods production decreased by 8.2 percent and machinery production decreased by 3.7 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. There was a 0.7 percent decrease in the production of basic metals such as iron and steel, and a 0.4 percent decrease in construction materials such as glass, cement and ceramics. In contrast, automotive production increased by 9.7 percent. Research by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry also showed that new orders decreased, especially in the textile, ready-made clothing, machinery and metal sectors.
CREDIT INCREASE SLOWED DOWN
In addition to the problems in the industry, the growth rate of loans given by banks also decreased. The loan growth rate, which was 33.1 percent at the end of December 2025, decreased to 28 percent in March 2026, 22.2 percent in September and 18.4 percent on November 6. These rates are calculated annually by looking at how much the loans given by banks have increased in the last 13 weeks. With the decision taken on November 11, the Central Bank paved the way for banks to provide more loans. The increase limit for consumer and vehicle loans was increased to 3.5 percent, for loans of small and medium-sized enterprises to 5.5 percent, and for large enterprises to 2.5 percent.
DIFFERENT TABLE
A striking picture also emerged in the expenditures made by citizens with cards. According to the data of the Interbank Card Center, expenditures made with credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards in September increased by 35 percent compared to the same month of the previous year and reached approximately 2 trillion 966 billion liras. The number of payments made by cards increased by 11 percent, reaching 1 billion 955 million. However, when August and September were compared, a different result was seen. The index, which shows the change in card spending, decreased from 7 thousand 73.4 in August to 7 thousand 14.4 in September. According to analysts, the latest data show that production has increased in some areas such as the defense industry and automotive, while the decline continues in the ready-made clothing, metal and machinery sectors.
