SMEs: The Backbone of the Turkish Economy, Providing 68.5% of Employment

The Driving Force of Economic Activity When examining the production, employment, and trade structure of the Turkish economy, the decisive role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) is clearly visible through current statistics.
Representing 99.6% of the total number of businesses in Turkey with approximately 3.9 million enterprises, these organizations stand out as the main carriers of economic activity, with a wide-ranging impact from production to exports.
Employment and Value-Added Data According to current data, SMEs shoulder 68.5% of total employment, while accounting for 43.5% of personnel costs and 44.1% of total turnover.
During the same period, 39.8% of the production value and 41.2% of the value added at factor cost were generated by these businesses.
These indicators prove that despite their small scale, the impact of SMEs on the real economy holds strategic importance at a macro level.
Innovation and Foreign Trade Performance The innovation capacity of SMEs has also reached remarkable levels recently.
In the 2024 reference period, 1,417 patent applications were filed by these enterprises, with 615 of these applications being registered.
SMEs also remain critical actors in foreign trade, accounting for approximately 29.6% of total exports and 15.9% of imports.
Operating across a wide spectrum from supply chains to retail, these businesses continue to maintain their operational weight in Turkey's economic structure.