Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz called for deeper economic cooperation among Islamic countries, saying they need stronger production partnerships, investment cooperation, logistics, connectivity and integration to increase their share of global trade.
“We need to increase the share Islamic countries receive from the world economy and trade. This will happen not only through efforts we make individually, but also through what we do together,” Yilmaz said at a gala dinner held as part of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development meetings in Ankara.
The event, hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), brought together chamber representatives from 20 Islamic countries.
Yilmaz said the global economy is facing challenges including geopolitical tensions, rising protectionism, supply chain changes, financing constraints, digitalisation and the green transition.
He said the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has 57 members, accounts for nearly one-fifth of the world’s population but only 10 percent-11 percent of global goods trade, highlighting significant untapped potential.
“This picture needs to change,” he said. “In this context, we need more production partnerships, more cooperation in investments, logistics, connectivity and integration.”
Türkiye’s trade with OIC countries reaches $118B
Yilmaz said Türkiye has played a leading role in advancing economic and commercial cooperation within the OIC.
Türkiye’s economy grew from $238 billion in 2002 to more than $1.6 trillion in 2025, he said. He added that the country’s exports of goods and services reached $396 billion last year and are expected to exceed $400 billion this year.
Türkiye’s trade volume with OIC member countries reached $118 billion last year, while OIC member states have invested $27.3 billion in Türkiye since 2003, he said. Türkiye’s direct investments in OIC countries totalled $15.2 billion over the same period.
Yilmaz said mutual investments should be increased to place trade relations on a stronger foundation.
He also pointed to the work of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the OIC (COMCEC), chaired by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, saying it has supported economic and commercial cooperation among Islamic countries for more than 40 years.
