In a written statement released by the Council of Shopping Centers Turkey (AYD) on Tuesday, Vice President Hulusi Belgü said the country's malls are predicted to see TL 60 billion in profits in 2013 reports Todays' Zaman.

According to a study jointly prepared by the AYD and Akademetre Research, profits increased by 2.2 percent in January compared to the same month of the previous year, reaching 139 points on the Mall Index. The profits of malls in Anatolia rose by 4.5 percent in January and went up to 138 points while the profits for İstanbul stayed the same at 140 points.

Looking at the Visitor Index, the total number of mall visitors went down by 5.7 percent in January compared to the same month of 2012. Mall visits in İstanbul declined by 3 points while visits in Anatolia decreased by 9 points in the same month.

The study also shows that with the opening of 21 new malls in 2012 in the country, there is a total retail floor space area of 8.3 million square meters. Of that total, 38 percent of the area is located in İstanbul and the remaining 62 percent in Anatolia. Currently, 54 provinces in the country do not have a mall.