BURSA, Turkey — Turkish steel producers are aiming to reach $55 billion in annual exports by 2023, according to Namik Ekinci, chairman of the Turkish Iron and Steel Producers Association.

"To reach this target, we need to find new markets and we need to increase our (output) and production range," Ekinci said.

Despite economic crises in Europe and political problems in the Middle East and North Africa, Turkey has succeeded in increasing its production and exports, the association said.

Turkey’s exports totaled about 20 million tonnes in 2012, up around 10 percent from the previous year, and the value of the exports hit an estimated $15.7 billion, a 2-percent increase, Ekinci said at a meeting on the industry’s new five-year plan.

"We are organizing visits to meet the target country buyers, steel consumers, media companies and government departments, while also advertising the Turkish steel industry," Ekinci said. "We have already visited Chile, Peru, Colombia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania in only one year."

A version of this article was first published by AMM sister publication Steel First.