The automotive main and sub-industry is one of the locomotive sectors of Turkey's manufacturing industry today. The automotive main and sub-industry also forms the infrastructure of the defense industry and shipbuilding industry. While all parts related to the automotive sector were produced within the main industry manufacturing companies in the 1960s, with the increase in capacities and the development of investments in the sub-industry, the sub-industry, which has importance and weight in the sector, has been formed. Although there are many products exported from the automotive sub-industry in our country, the most exported products can be listed as engine components and parts, outer and inner tires, assembly, rims and wheel components. The automotive sub-industry products that we import the most as Türkiye are; Diesel and semi-diesel engines, gearboxes, and internal combustion engines can be described as such. One of the automotive sub-industry sectors that produces suitable parts for the demands of automotive main industry companies and the needs of active vehicles in the market is the filter sector. The production center of the filter sector, which is an important branch of the automotive industry, is Hatay Iskenderun in Turkey.

If we need to touch upon the history of the automotive filter sector; in the period when the automotive industry was just beginning to make production plans in our country, the first filter factory was established in Iskenderun, Hatay in 1966, in parallel with the production initiatives of the Automotive Industry in Turkey. According to data received from the Eastern Mediterranean Development Agency, there are approximately 70 filter manufacturers in Turkey, and about 1/5 of these manufacturers operate in Hatay. Almost 65% of the automotive and ancillary industry filters produced in Turkey are manufactured in our region. An important feature of the filter sector in our region is that the export of the produced products is made to industrially developed European countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, England and Italy. This fact is considered a factor explaining the level of development of the filter sector in our region.

A significant portion of the filters procured from abroad, including oil, fuel, air, and hydraulic filters produced for the automotive sector, as well as industrial filters needed by agricultural vehicles, construction and road machinery, generators, compressors, and industrial establishments, can now be produced in our country. In the automotive industry, internal combustion engines, construction and road machinery, and industrial areas, oil, fuel, air, hydraulic, cabin air, water separator, brake system air dryer filters used in compressor, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, the filter factories in our region produce these filters and also carry out new product design studies in addition to R&D studies. The most important material that performs the filtration function in filters is filter paper. Besides filter paper, there are also filters made from materials such as synthetic yarn, synthetic fiber, felt, and wadding, as well as filters made from materials such as steel, copper, bronze, and metal fabric.

Based on this information, an estimated calculation suggests that Turkey's motor vehicle filter need is approximately 150 million units/year. When we add the filters used in air, sea, and rail vehicles, the defense industry, industrial areas, generators, compressors, and other systems in Turkey, it is estimated that Turkey's annual filter need is approximately 165 million units. It is also known that the factories operating in Iskenderun and our region have the capacity to meet 65% of this need under normal working conditions.

The filter factories in Iskenderun and our region provide employment opportunities to thousands of people, including the employees they employ within their own organizations, as well as those working in their suppliers and sales organizations. It is foreseen that the actual employment of nearly 3,000 people can reach 4,000 to 4,500 people by increasing the number of shifts if demand increases. Filter factories market, sell, and distribute their products in the domestic market through their affiliated dealerships. Furthermore, leading organizations that have gained supplier status can supply their products to vehicle manufacturers. Demand from public institutions and organizations, as well as the defense industry, can also be met by filter factories that are competent according to tender specifications. Filter factories in Iskenderun and our region export a significant portion of their products to many parts of the world. Many existing customer companies and organizations in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa represent a significant potential in terms of filter demand. Many business people from these countries come to Iskenderun and our region throughout the year to conduct commercial meetings and establish important connections by meeting with the filter factories here. According to the data from the Eastern Mediterranean Development Agency and the Industrial Registry Information System, as of the end of 2018, the filter sector achieved a total sales of 805 million TL, including 338 million TL in domestic sales and 467 million TL in foreign sales. Accordingly, the export share in total sales was realized as 58%.

The graph of the number of motor vehicles in our country and the number of motor vehicles in Hatay according to the years is given in the tables below.