Turkey's exports exceeded $50 billion in the first seven and a half months of the year, showing a 15 per cent year-on-year rise, Foreign Trade Minister Kursad Tuzmen said in a statement.

Exports in the last 12 months topped $80 billion.

'Together with the rise in exchange rates, our exports picked up. According to records from the Exporters Unions our exports exceeded $50.245 billion in 7.5 months,' said Tuzmen in a statement.

Tuzmen warned against a strong lira, saying this would again put exporters into difficulty.

'We want a stable and normal exchange rate for exporters. We want this for raising our exports further to lower the foreign trade deficit and current account deficit,' he said.

The Turkish lira has clawed back most of its losses recently to trade at 1.4525 against the dollar this morning. It lost up to 25 per cent at the peak of turbulence in May and June but now stands almost 10 per cent weaker than at the end of April.

Turkish exports rose by a record 28 per cent in June due to a weaker lira, which makes Turkish goods more affordable in international markets.

The official export and import projections are $79 billion and $124.4 billion respectively in 2006.Reuters