ISTANBUL/ANKARA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye's exports rose 21.9 percent year on year to 24.94 billion U.S. dollars in June, marking the highest June figure on record, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said on Friday.

An aerial drone photo taken on April 14, 2025 shows Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Türkiye. Türkiye on Monday started the first-ever comprehensive restoration work on the main dome of Hagia Sophia, one of the most important historical sites in Istanbul. (Photo: Xinhua)

Speaking at a meeting on foreign trade data, Bolat said imports in June rose 23.1 percent year on year to 35.3 billion dollars, resulting in a monthly trade deficit of 10.4 billion dollars.

During the first half of 2026, Türkiye's exports increased 3.6 percent year on year to 136.1 billion dollars, while imports rose 4.6 percent to 189.2 billion dollars.

Bolat said the country's annualized goods exports reached 278 billion dollars as of June, while total goods and services exports exceeded 400 billion dollars on a rolling annual basis for the first time.

He said Türkiye faced a difficult first half of the year due to volatility in global commodity and precious metals markets, as well as rising energy, petrochemical and logistics costs amid regional geopolitical tensions. Despite these headwinds, the country's export performance remained resilient, he said.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Statistical Institute said on Friday that the country's annual inflation eased to 32.11 percent in June from 32.61 percent in May, as consumer prices rose 0.99 percent month on month, down from a 1.71 percent increase in May.

Softer energy prices following a deal between the United States and Iran helped ease monthly consumer price growth, broadly in line with market expectations, the data showed. Monthly consumer price inflation accelerated to 4.2 percent in April, then slowed to 1.71 percent in May and 0.99 percent in June.

Türkiye has been struggling with high inflation since a currency crisis in 2018, with elevated price pressures significantly eroding households' and businesses' purchasing power.