Turkey Says Global Crises Are Reshaping Supply Chains

Turkish Official: Crises and Wars Are Reshaping Global Supply Chains

Economic crises, climate-related disasters, wars and conflicts are changing global trade and pushing countries away from the traditional “just-in-time” supply model toward building reserves and moving supply chains closer to home and to trusted partner countries.

Mahmut Gürcan, Deputy Minister of Trade of Türkiye, made the remarks while speaking at the Turkmenistan Investment Forum.

“Recently, we have seen how economic crises, climate-related natural disasters, wars and the resulting migration flows are having a significant impact on the global economy. Instead of the ‘just-in-time’ model that dominated global trade for a long time, it is increasingly necessary to build reserves and maintain production capacity in order to be prepared for different situations,” Gürcan said.

Supply Chains Are Moving Closer to Home

According to the Turkish official, these developments are changing the geography of international production and trade relations.

Gürcan said that organizing supplies from nearby regions and cooperating with friendly countries is becoming increasingly important.

“In this new era, economies and trade are shaped not only by maps and figures, but also by resilience, flexibility and strategic autonomy.”

This shift means that companies and countries are increasingly considering the ability to withstand disruptions alongside traditional factors such as cost and delivery speed.

Investment Criteria Are Also Changing

The Turkish official also noted that the way national economic resilience is measured is changing.

Economic growth is increasingly being assessed alongside environmental impact, energy efficiency and technological adaptation.

According to Gürcan, sustainable growth is no longer measured only by high GDP figures. Investment that reduces environmental impact, improves energy efficiency and supports technological adaptation is also becoming increasingly important.

He also emphasized that capital should not be viewed only as a financial resource, but also as a means of bringing technology into economies. For this reason, he described encouraging high-quality investment at the global level as particularly important.

Central Asia Gains Importance for International Trade Routes

Against this background, the Turkish representative highlighted the growing importance of Central Asia for international transport routes.

He pointed to the geographical position of Turkmenistan, located in Central Asia between the markets of the Far East, the Middle East and Europe.

“One of Turkmenistan’s most important advantages is its location in the center of Central Asia, between the markets of the Far East, the Middle East and Europe. In particular, the Middle Corridor and trade routes connecting this region with Europe are areas that will attract investor interest in the near future.”

The Middle Corridor is an international transport route connecting Asia and Europe through Central Asia and the Caspian Sea. Its growing importance is linked to efforts to diversify trade routes and reduce dependence on individual supply chains.

More Investment in Storage and Digital Customs

Gürcan said that in the coming years, investment opportunities will extend beyond traditional transport infrastructure.

• cargo storage facilities;
• digitalization of customs procedures;
• transport services;
• multimodal transportation systems;
• roads, ports and maritime routes.

The shift toward more resilient supply chains could therefore increase demand for infrastructure capable of storing, processing and moving goods through several transport networks.

For Türkiye, its location between Europe, Asia and the Middle East remains an important factor in discussions about international trade, logistics and investment.

Source: MK Turkey, based on remarks by Turkish Deputy Minister of Trade Mahmut Gürcan at the Turkmenistan Investment Forum.

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