Turkish vice president pushes for greater trade integration across Islamic nations

Monday 29 June 2026 - 11:26

By: Sahili Aya

Turkish vice president pushes for greater trade integration across Islamic nations

Turkey is urging Islamic countries to strengthen economic integration and expand cooperation in trade, investment, and industrial production in order to increase their collective share of the global economy.

Speaking at a gala dinner held during Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development meetings in Ankara, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz called for deeper coordination among member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which represents 57 countries worldwide.

The event, hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), brought together representatives from chambers of commerce across 20 Islamic countries to discuss economic cooperation, investment opportunities, and regional connectivity.

Yilmaz stressed that Islamic countries must move beyond isolated national efforts and instead build stronger production partnerships, integrated supply chains, and improved logistics networks. He argued that such collaboration would help unlock significant economic potential that remains underutilised.

He noted that while OIC member states account for nearly one-fifth of the global population, they represent only around 10% to 11% of global goods trade, highlighting what he described as a substantial gap between demographic weight and economic influence.

The Turkish vice president also pointed to a range of global challenges affecting the international economy, including geopolitical tensions, rising protectionism, disruptions in supply chains, tightening financing conditions, digital transformation, and the transition toward greener economic models.

According to Yilmaz, these pressures make economic coordination among Islamic countries even more urgent, particularly in areas such as infrastructure development, industrial cooperation, and cross-border investment.

He concluded that increasing economic integration is essential not only for improving trade performance but also for enhancing resilience and competitiveness in an increasingly complex global economic environment.