ISTANBUL. Aug 7: Turkey's exports rose 6.2 per cent to 15.984 billion dollars in the first seven months of this year from 15.057 billion dollars a year earlier, the Turkish Exporters Council (TIM) said yesterday. reports Reuters.

It said in a statement that exports were 2.35 billion dollars in July, increasing 3.1 per cent from 2.28 billion dollars a year earlier.

TIM Chairman Okan Oguz said in the statement that exporters continued to face difficulties as the Lira's depreciation was lagging behind Inflation and demand in international markets was narrowing.

He renewed a call for measures to boost exports.

The leading sector was readywear which exported 4.43 billion dollars of products in January-July this year, up 7.2 per cent fium the same 1997 period.

It was followed iron and non-lron metal exports, up 5.8 per cent year-on-year to 1.97 billion dollars textile and related raw material exports, up 11.7 per cent to 1.79 billion dollars and electric, electronic exports. up 21 per cent to 1.48 billion dollars.

Among other leading export items ware chemical materials and products, rising 6.7 per cent year-on-year to 1.07 billion dollars and automotive exports, Including parts, up 13.8 per cent to 1.02 billion dollars.

The sharpest decline was in olive and live oil exports which dived 34.5 per cent in the sevenmonth period to 40.93 million dollars.

Turkey targets 29 billion dollars of exports this year, after a 14 per cent Increase least year to 27.15 billion dollar Oguz said earlier exports would fall short of this target.

Another report says: The Turkish central bank said yesterday its foreign exchange reserves rose 163 million dollars in the week ending on July 31 to 25.711 billion dollars.