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Turkmenistan-Türkiye Cotton Trade Expands Through Commodity Exchange Platform

• By  Textile Excellence
• February 15, 2026

Turkmenistan is strengthening trade ties with Türkiye through new cotton fibre transactions concluded at the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange of Turkmenistan.

Recent auction sessions at the exchange resulted in Turkish buyers securing export contracts for Turkmen cotton fibre, reinforcing a long-standing textile-linked relationship between the two countries.

Bilateral trade

Trade between Turkmenistan and Türkiye has shown steady momentum. In 2024, bilateral trade turnover reportedly crossed US$ 2 billion, reflecting expanding commercial engagement beyond energy.

Cotton remains one of Turkmenistan’s most important non-energy exports to Türkiye. Turkish imports of Turkmen cotton were valued at close to US$ 100 million in 2024, making it a key raw material flow within the relationship.

Historically, trade between the two nations has been deeper. Bilateral trade once reached US$ 5.5 billion in 2015, before moderating and gradually stabilising in recent years.

Why cotton matters

Turkmenistan produces over one million tonnes of cotton annually and has been working to move up the value chain into yarn and textile production. The exchange mechanism provides a transparent platform for selling fibre and yarn to international buyers.

For Türkiye - one of the world’s major textile and apparel manufacturing hubs - access to regional cotton sources reduces dependence on distant suppliers and supports supply chain resilience.

Strategic implications

The renewed exchange activity suggests three clear trends:

1. Export diversification for Turkmenistan
   While China remains Turkmenistan’s largest trading partner, growing cotton trade with Türkiye signals broader market diversification.
2. Regional sourcing for Türkiye
   Turkish mills gain a geographically closer cotton supply option, potentially lowering logistics risk.
3. Strengthening Central Asia–Western Asia textile linkages
   Cotton trade is reinforcing industrial interdependence between the two economies.

In a global textile market shaped by supply chain realignment and geopolitical recalibration, even incremental cotton deals can have strategic weight.

The Turkmen exchange platform is quietly becoming an important channel in that shift.

Turkmenistan produces over one million tonnes of cotton annually and has been working to move up the value chain into yarn and textile production. The exchange mechanism provides a transparent platform for selling fibre and yarn to international buyers. For Türkiye - one of the world’s major textile and apparel manufacturing hubs - access to regional cotton sources reduces dependence on distant suppliers and supports supply chain resilience.