In the first quarter, the Southeastern Anatolia region saw a 10 percent increase in exports in the grains, pulses, oilseeds, and products sector, reaching $836.5 million. This growth was driven by key products such as pasta, wheat flour, sunflower seed oil, and notably, sweet biscuits-wafers and cocoa products, with cocoa-free sugar and sugar products exports surging by approximately 120 percent due to high holiday demand and lower global sugar prices. Despite a drop in sales to Africa, exports to the Middle East, especially Iraq, saw an increase. The region's export diversity, catering to markets like Iraq, the USA, Syria, and Germany, is expected to benefit from improved commercial relations following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent visit to Iraq, aimed at overcoming restrictive practices limiting the sector's growth.