Turkey, although home to an estimated 40 percent of the world's natural stone reserves, cannot compete effectively against rivals in the global marble market because it fails to export enough processed marble to meet international demand.



According to data from the Ä°stanbul Mining Exporters Union, Turkey's total marble exports slumped by 34 percent in the first seven months of this year to $330 million over the same period of 2008. In the January-July period, Turkey's marble exports to the US, the largest processed stone market, contracted by 51 percent over the same period of the preceding year.



Commenting on the issue, Aegean Mining Exporters Union head Arslan Erdinç said on Monday that countries such as China and India purchase raw marble from Turkey at relatively lower prices and sell these for high prices to world markets after having processed the stone. Erdinç said these countries processed marble at cheaper prices than Turkey since they have a large population and thus have a relatively cheaper workforce. "We have to increase our competitive power against companies from such countries. Turkish marble exporters should be encouraged to first process marble and then export," he noted.