Automotiv_September

Monthly automotive aftermarket magazine
Turkey becomes an attractive
base for Gulf investors
Gulf investors, were hosted
in Konya and Mersin this
year, Investment Support and
Promotion Agency of Turkey
(ISPAT) Gulf States Representative
M. Mustafa Göksu said, adding
that investors are interested in
agriculture and livestock.
Göksu said that they brought
hundreds of investors from the
Gulf countries to Turkey last year
and that this year they also hosted
163 investors primarily from Saudi
Arabia in Mersin and 200 in
Konya.
Göksu said in a statement that
interest from investors from the
Gulf in Turkey is increasing.
Prefacing that Turkey's economy
is growing, Göksu said investors
are coming to Turkey to address
the domestic market and realize
imports already made with
other countries from Turkey.
"This is a golden opportunity
for us. We will make Turkey a
base in investment and exports.
Because Turkey is a very attractive
country," Göksu said, adding that
investors examine the incentives
in all countries.
"Incentives are like icing on a
cake. If the cake is good, the icing
has meaning. If the cake is bad,
the icing has no meaning," Göksu
said.
He said that Turkey is a suitable
country for investment and that
investors rely on Turkey and its
stability. "The heart and soul of the
Arab world is with us. They want
to become locals by converting
this love into investment in
Turkey. Hopefully, just like every
year, we continue to increase the
investments this year by bringing
hundreds of investors in Turkey."
Göksu said they bring investors
from different sectors to Turkey
every year. "By introducing
Gulf investors to companies in
Turkey, we enable investments
and exports to increase and
partnerships to form, paving the
way for Turkish businesspeople
who want to expand their
businesses," Göksu said."As we
introduce these companies to
Gulf countries, we are bringing
together people who work in a
certain sector we determine every
year." Last year they brought
together Turkish companies and
investors operating in energy and
Göksu said that this year, they
brought together businesspeople
working in agriculture and
livestock from both Turkey and
the Gulf. "We aim to reduce
the meat imports of our country
and turn it into an exporter. Our
geography is very convenient for
this," he said.
Pointing to investors' desire to
come to Turkey, investment and
become locals, Göksu said despite
the fact that these people procure
the products they import more
cheaply from other countries,
they see Turkey as a supplier in
animal consumption and added
that they will bring these people
to Turkey.
Göksu previously said they will
familiarize Arab investors with
investment opportunities in Turkey
and introduce them to domestic
firms. He said that interest in
the forum was well above their
expectations and that they plan to
organize a second forum to meet
demand.
"With these activities, we aim to
introduce investors from Gulf
countries to domestic investors
and present the opportunities
Turkey has to offer to foreign
investors. Our goal is also to bring
Arab investors together with
those who do the same work for
them to establish partnerships
and enable them to carry these
partnerships to other countries,"
Göksu said.
Göksü said that last year they
hosted very productive programs
in Diyarbakır and Şanlıurfa for 50
businessmen from Saudi Arabia,
Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain who
participated in the 8th Middle East
Agriculture, Livestock, Poultry and
Dairy Industry Fair. Arab investors
who and made connections
with local companies continue
to closely follow the domestic
market, he said.
56 SEPTEMBER 2018