the health sector and related industries are considered to be of strategic importance in Turkey. This strategic importance is even better understood when considering the social and economic impacts of these industries. Turkey, the Ministry of Health with the Health Transformation Program applications received in 2004 demonstrated its commitment to health reform. These reforms marked important improvements in the country’s healthcare system, and were supported by investments in R&D and innovations in the health sector.

In 2018, Turkey’s value of the global pharmaceutical market, where # 17 reached 1.2 trillion US dollars.

Some important data and figures regarding the Turkish pharmaceutical industry are:

• In 2018, the Turkish pharmaceutical industry grew by 26.1%, reaching 30.94 billion TL. Unit sales increased by 3.6% in the same period, reaching 2.3 billion.
  
  
• Around 500 companies operate in the sector. As of May 2019, there are 81 pharmaceutical and 11 raw material production facilities that can meet the highest international standards. 
  
  
• 17 of these 81 production facilities are owned by multinational companies. 
  
  
• Three of the 11 raw material production facilities are owned by multinational companies. 
  
  
• The pharmaceutical industry employs over 35,000 people and produces more than 11,000 products
  
  
• As of June 2019, biotechnology products accounted for 17.4% of prescription products with a value of 6.1 billion TL out of 28.8 million units in the past 12 months. The said biotech pharmaceutical market grew by 10.7%, reaching a total of 5.7 billion TL. 
  
  
• The biosimilar pharmaceutical market grew by 54.2%, reaching 434.2 million TL.
  
  
• Turkish pharmaceutical manufacturers export to more than 160 countries, including the EU, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and CIS countries.
  
  
• Regulations in the sector are in line with EU directives.
  
  

Some important data and figures regarding the Turkish medical device industry are as follows:

• The value of the Turkish medical device market exceeded USD 2.0 billion in 2018.
  
  
• The market is expected to grow 5.9% annually on TL basis between 2016-2021.
  
  
• Health campus projects will meet the growing demand in the industry over the next few years.
  
  
• In the growing health tourism sector, the demand for medical devices is expected to increase, with the number of tourists reaching almost 554,000 in 2018. The Ministry of Health predicts that this number will reach 1.5 million by 2023.
  
  
• Medical device regulations are in line with EU directives.
  
  

https://www.invest.gov.tr/tr/sectors/sayfalar/life-sciences.aspx