İstanbul, Apr 5 () - Turkey’s car sales in the first three months of this year rose 5.5 percent when compared to the same period in 2017, the Automotive Distributers’ Association (ODD) said on Tuesday. A total of 122 thousand and 310 automobiles were sold in the first three months of this year, while the number was 115 thousand and 963 over the same period last year. The sales of light commercial vehicles, however, slipped by 10 percent to stand at 36 thousand and 120 during the same period. In March, some 73 thousand and 802 automotive units were sold, with a 3.4 percent year-on-year increase. In March, 59 thousand and 798 automobiles were sold, a 7.52 percent year-on-year increase. Last March, 55 thousand and 616 automobiles were sold. Some 16 thousand and 547 units of light commercial vehicles were sold in March with a 9.0 percent of decline compared to the same month of 2017. The association expects that at the end of 2018, Turkey’s overall auto sales market will hover between 925 thousand and 975 thousand units.