ANKARA (IRNA) -- Tehran-Ankara trade balance was in Iran's favor in the first five months of 2006, according to the latest statistics released by Turkish state-run statistics institute.

Turkey's exports to Iran stood at $73.725 million while its imports from the country reached $509.649 million only in May, said the institute.

It added that Iran-Turkey trade exchanges showed more than 53.5 percent growth in the first five months of 2006 to $2.283 billion compared to the figures for the match period in 2005, which reached $1.487 billion.

Turkey's exports to and imports from Iran stood at $363.440 million (down 5.26 percent) and $1.920 billion (up 73.89 percent) respectively in May 2006 compared to the figures for the same month in 2005.