Why Invest in Turkey

1. SUCCESSFUL ECONOMY

• Booming economy; more than tripling its GDP, reaching USD 800 billion in 2014
• Promising economy with a bright future as it is expected to become one of the fastest growing economies among the OECD members during 2014-2016 with an average annual real GDP growth rate of 3.6 percent (OECD, February 2015)
• 16th largest economy in the world and 6th largest economy compared with the EU in 2013 (GDP at PPP, IMF WEO)

2. POPULATION

• A population of 77.7 million (2014, TurkStat)
• Half the population under the age of 30.7 (2014, TurkStat) Young, dynamic, well-educated and multi-cultural population

3. QUALIFIED AND COMPETITIVE LABOR FORCE

• Over 29.2 million young, well-educated and motivated professionals (2014, TurkStat)
• Increasing labor productivity

4. LIBERAL AND REFORMIST INVESTMENT CLIMATE

• Business-friendly environment with average of 6 days to set up a company, while the average in OECD members is more than 11 days (World Bank Doing Business Report 2014)
• Highly competitive investment conditions
• Strong industrial and service culture
• Equal treatment for all investors
• Around 41,397 companies with international capital in 2014 (Ministry of Economy)
• International arbitration Guarantee of transfers

5. INFRASTRUCTURE

• New and highly developed technological infrastructure in transportation, telecommunications and energy
• Well-developed and low-cost sea transport facilities

6. CENTRALLY LOCATED

• A natural bridge between both East-West and North-South axes, thus creating an efficient and cost-effective outlet to major markets
• Easy access to 1.5 billion customers in Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa Access to multiple markets worth USD 25 trillion of GDP

7. ENERGY CORRIDOR AND TERMINAL OF EUROPE

• An important energy terminal and corridor in Europe connecting the East and the West Located at a close proximity of more than 70 percent of the world’s proven primary energy reserves, while the largest energy consumer, which is Europe, is located right to the west of Turkey, thus making the country a linchpin in energy transit and an energy terminal in the region

8. LOW TAXES & INCENTIVES

• Corporate Income Tax reduced from 33 percent to 20 percent
• Tax benefits and incentives in Technology Development Zones, Industrial Zones and Free Zones, including total or partial exemption from Corporate Income Tax, a grant on employer’s social security share, as well as land allocation

9. CUSTOMS UNION WITH THE EU SINCE 1996

• Customs Union with the EU since 1996 and Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with 20 countries (Ministry of Economy)

10. LARGE DOMESTIC MARKET

• 71.9 million mobile phone subscribers in 2014
• 35.9 million international tourist arrivals in 2014

• A new airport, tipped to be the largest in the world (cost 47 billion USD)

• The Third continental bridge on Bosphorus

• The North Marmara Motorway

• 2 big new cities in Istanbul, housing 1 million residents each

• Marmaray underwater metro & train tunnel under the Bosphorus

• Canal Istanbul project to ease shipping traffic in the Bosphorus, estimated to be one of the biggest in world

• High-speed intercity train network

• An improved metro network all over Istanbul


• Marmara Ring high-speed train circle that will connect all cities of Marmara region


• One of the world’s longest bridges on both sides of the Marmara Sea