Having risen 30% year-on-year, Turkey posted its highest-ever monthly exports figure in September with $20.8 billion, the trade minister announced on Friday.

"For the first time in our republic's history, we've exceeded the threshold level of $20 billion on a monthly basis," Mehmet Mus told reporters in the capital Ankara, citing preliminary foreign trade figures.

Turkey also achieved its 12-month rolling exports target for 2021 in the first nine months of the year, reaching $212.2 billion, Mus stressed.

As laid out in Turkey's new economic program announced by the government, the export target for this year is $211 billion, he noted.

"I believe this success story will continue to increase and maintain growth permanently," Mus said.

The country's imports totaled at $23.4 billion in September, up 12% from the same month last year, he said./aa