According to consolidated data from the Machinery Exporters' Association (MAİB), Türkiye's total machinery exports—including those from free trade zones—amounted to $16.5 billion in the first seven months of the year. Sevda Kayhan Yılmaz, President of the Machinery Exporters' Association, noted that the Turkish machinery sector has secured the top spot in the Syrian market—where total machinery imports doubled compared to the previous year—and stated, "The battle for market share between Chinese and European manufacturers is intensifying in the rapidly growing Syrian market. New regulations suited to competitive conditions are needed for the Turkish machinery sector, which captured market leadership by refusing to abandon the field even under the harsh conditions of the civil war."