Erdoğan Inaugurates World Halal Summit Highlighting $7T Market

ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday cast the rapidly expanding halal economy as one of the few global industries still managing to inspire confidence at a time of political tension and economic uncertainty. Its appeal, he said, now stretches far beyond the world’s nearly two billion Muslims, drawing in consumers who associate halal standards with cleanliness, health, traceability and ethical production.

In a message to the opening ceremony of the World Halal Summit in Istanbul, Mr. Erdoğan cited last year’s turnout — more than 50,000 visitors from 50 countries and over 500 companies — as evidence of rising global interest. He said he expected even larger participation this year, noting that the halal economy has grown into a sprawling ecosystem worth an estimated $7 trillion across food, finance, tourism, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

“The preference for halal products is increasing around the world,” he said, calling the summit the most influential annual gathering in the sector and a barometer for its direction.

The four-day summit, now in its 11th year, is being held alongside the Halal Expo under the theme “Strengthening the Halal Industry via Innovation and Excellence.” Organized with the support of the Turkish Presidency, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Türkiye’s Halal Accreditation Agency, the event brings together governments, businesses and industry bodies seeking to capitalize on the global shift toward ethical and standards-based consumption.

A Call for Economic Solidarity

For Turkey, the summit also offered a platform to address the growing fragmentation of the global economy. Trade Minister Omer Bolat warned that rising protectionism and new tariff barriers were complicating international commerce, arguing that Islamic countries needed to respond with greater cooperation and deeper economic integration.

He also spoke about the devastation in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the past two years, describing the violence as a “massacre.” He expressed hope that a recently announced ceasefire agreement mediated in Egypt would open a path toward reconstruction and sustained humanitarian access.

Halal Trade as Diplomacy

Several speakers framed the halal industry not merely as a commercial realm but as a diplomatic one, capable of linking countries through shared standards.

Fikri Ataoğlu, the deputy prime minister of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, said halal trade had evolved into a form of soft power, raising the international visibility of participating nations. “Trust, quality, ethics, traceability and human health are the foundations of halal trade,” he said. “These values strengthen the brand identity of countries.”

He added that the rising profile of halal-certified products was helping countries expand their cultural footprint, noting that halal trade often serves as a consumer’s first point of contact with a new nation.

Afghanistan Seeks Investors

Afghanistan’s trade minister, Nureddin Azizi, used the summit to pitch foreign investors, portraying the country as a largely untapped market at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. He pointed to Afghanistan’s natural resources, young labor force and transit routes, and said the government was working to create a business-friendly climate.

“We offer great opportunities in mining, agriculture, healthcare, banking and other sectors,” he said, adding that Afghanistan sought deeper economic ties with Türkiye, with which it shares longstanding cultural and historical links.

Nigeria Eyes a Continental Role

Nigeria’s minister of industry, trade and investment, Jumoke Oduwole, cast the summit as a global stage on which emerging halal economies could claim a larger voice. She said Nigeria had attracted increasing investor confidence over the past two years and now accounts for 7.5 percent of Africa’s $4.2 billion halal food market — a figure expected to grow as demand rises across the continent.

She invited global partners to invest in Nigeria’s halal-certified manufacturing and food processing sectors, arguing that the country is poised to become a regional hub at a time when Africa’s halal markets are drawing interest from the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Europe.