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TIMBER AND TIMBER PRODUCTS Forestry in Turkey has a wellestablished past that extends back to the Ottoman Empire. In that period the forests were considered to be an endowment from God. Therefore sustainable management of forests is an old tradition in Turkey. Since the concept of sustainable management of forests has changed considerably, forestry in Turkey is changing fast to adapt itself to the new concept. The total area of Turkey is 77,6 million hectares and 27,2 % of this area, which is an area of 21,2 million hectares, is forests. A total of 54,4% of the forests in Turkey is of needled (coniferous) trees and 45,6% is of broadleaved trees. At present the forests were classified as state forest, public forest, private forest and foundation forest. The forests have been divided into three categories in terms of quality and character; protected forests, national parks and productive forests. In Turkey, about half of the forests are productive forests and in that area, in the past three years, an annual average of 11 million m of industrial wood and 12 million m of firewood have been produced. Industrial wood production is mainly directed to the manufacturing of logs, woodbased panels (plywood, blackboard, particle board, MDF, HDF, and OSB), pulpwood and other wood industries. The Turkish timber industry is a substantial sector for economic development, especially for rural employment. The sector consists of different traded commodities including logs, sawn timber, veneers, panel products, such as MDF, OSB and plywood, mouldings, doors and door frames, windows and window frames, parquetry, building material components etc. The wood processing industry, excluding furniture, is concentrated mainly in stanbul, zmir, Bursa, Ankara, Balkesir, and Antalya. According to the recent General Census of Industry and Business Establishments (2002), the sector of timber and timber products employs 79,351 people and the industry has 29,052 companies manufacturing various products. Moreover capacity data of the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) reports 9 companies with over 250 employees and 42 companies with over 100 employees. Besides, stanbul Chamber of Industrys list of the top 500 industrial establishments of Turkey has six companies producing timber products. These companies are Yldz Entegre Aa San. ve Tic. A., Kastamonu Entegre Aa Sanayi ve Tic. A. ., Starwood Orman rnleri Sanayi A.., Yldz Sunta MDF Orman rnleri Sanayi Tesisleri th. hr. ve Tic. A.., amsan Aa San. ve Tic. A.., and AGT Aa Sanayi ve Tic. Ltd. ti. Today, the sector produces both in workshops and in industrialscale manufacturing units. The production of timber and timber products is highly fragmented among a large number of small workshops. These small workshops play an important role in production. Large scale producers, especially woodbased panel firms, produce standard items by using automated massproduction techniques and most of their production is oriented towards export. The timber and timber products industry is greatly dependent on the activities of the building and furniture industry and at present these two sectors are very dynamic in the Turkish economy. Their growth has also had a positive impact on the production and export of timber and timber products. The Turkish contracting sector, with the above US$ 20 billion value added, is one of the major sectors exporting service. Turkish contractor companies that have undertaken construction works domestically and abroad have completed many housing complexes, tourism projects, hospitals and health center projects. In most of these buildings, Turkish timber and timber products are used. Turkish furniture is designed and made from the highest quality materials to ensure comfort, performance and a longlasting attractive appearance. Timber and timber products manufacturers and exporters are aware of the fact that the quality of timber products plays an important role in the production of furniture, which is a very strong sector in Turkey. Turkeys timber and timber products exports have an upward trend in the last five years. The sector exports notable amounts of products as well as meets the local demand. In the last five years, the exports of Turkish timber and timber products increased from US $ 181.4 million in 2004 to roughly US $ 482.2 million in 2008. This is m ainly due to improvements in technology and therefore quality. The main export products are: fiberboard, particleboard, builders joinery and carpentry wood, including cellular wood panels, assembled parquet panels, shingles and shakes. In 2 008 Turkey exported timber and timber products to 114 countries throughout the world. The main markets for timber product s exports are Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, the Russian Fed and Bulgaria. Today with quality and mass production capa city, the Turkish timber and timber products industry is able to satisfy the requirements of all individual markets all over the worl d. With increasing investment and improvement of raw materials, the output and export of sector products are expected further i ncrease.

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