Istanbul Auto Show attracts over 100,000 visitors in three days

ISTANBUL

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More than 100,000 people visited the Istanbul Auto Show in three days after its official opening on April 20. 

The fair, which is organized on a bi-yearly basis in cooperation between TÜYAP and the Automotive Distributors Association (ODD), will be open until April 30. 

TÜYAP CEO İlhan Ersözlü said that over 120 models were exhibited at the fair, which is being organized under the theme of “Look Closer at the Future.” 

“Participant companies bring in models which comply with our concept, namely showing the impact of the latest technologies on the automotive sector,” he said, noting that more than 100,000 visitors had come in just three days. 

A total of 19 brands are participating in the leading sector exhibition, although some big brands did not appear this year.

The sector plays a key role in Turkey’s economy as the largest export sector. 

The sector’s export target for 2017 is $27 billion, officials said, while noting that Turkey could assume a bigger share in global automotive trade. 

The automotive sector was Turkey’s biggest exporter last year with around $23.9 billion in exports, up from $21.3 billion in 2015.  

Turkey’s annual automotive exports, including trucks and buses, surpassed 1 million units for the first time in 2016 as foreign automakers’ investment in new models and a recovery in its main market, Europe, lifted shipments.