Turkey’s manufacturing industry confidence index declined to 101 in March 2026, down from an eleven-month high of 104.1 in February. This was the lowest reading since December and reflected a broad-based weakening across components, led by softer expectations for output over the next three months (117 vs. 120.4 in February).
Expectations for export orders also eased, slipping to 114.3 from 115.6, while anticipated total orders fell to 101.2 from 103.9, signaling cooling demand prospects. Labor market sentiment moderated slightly, with employment expectations edging down to 102.8 from 103.5.
Firms also appeared more cautious on capital spending, as expectations for fixed investment expenditure dropped to 105.0 from 108.5. Assessments of current conditions weakened as well: total orders declined to 84.3 from 87.9, and stocks of finished goods decreased to 98.4 from 100.7.
Meanwhile, views on the general business situation deteriorated markedly, with the corresponding sentiment index falling to 84.8 from 92.5.
