Free Zones Gathered in Antalya

Free Zones Gathered in Antalya to Draw Up the Road Map for the Future

The "Free Zones Workshop in the Hundredth Year of Our Republic" was held in Antalya in partnership between the Ministry of Trade and SEBKIDER, the association established with the membership of the 19 free zones in Turkiye, in order to determine the role and strategic vision of free zones in Turkiye's economy in the period ahead.

The opening of the workshop, held on 16-18 February at the Megasaray Westbeach Antalya Hotel, was attended by Deputy Minister of Trade Mustafa Tuzcu and Director General of Free Zones Emel Emirlioglu, SEBKIDER Chairman of the Board Yusuf Kilinc, officials and the managers of the 19 free zones.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, SEBKIDER Chairman of the Board Yusuf Kilinc noted that, with a total trade volume of approximately USD 31 billion in 2023 and exports approaching USD 13 billion, the free zones have become Turkiye's bases for production, employment and high value-added exports, and said: "Had they been included in a ranking by province, our free zones would have come 5th, after Izmir. Employing 97,000 people, our free zones exported more in 2023 than Ankara, with its population of 5.8 million. While only 24 provinces in Turkiye have been able to export more than USD 1 billion a year, this year 5 of our free zones raised their exports above USD 1 billion."

Emphasising that the free zones have potential far above this level, Kilinc said: "We believe that, in order for our zones to continue their mission as an important driving force of economic growth and foreign trade in Turkiye's second century, they need solutions developed through greater public-private cooperation and collective wisdom, which will keep pace with a changing world and meet and even exceed investors' expectations."

Kilinc: Opportunities and Threats Will Be Identified

Emphasising that the purpose of this workshop is to determine the strategies, vision, projects and road map that will take all the services of the free zones to far more advanced levels, Yusuf Kilinc said: "At the workshop we will produce a SWOT analysis report covering the strengths of the free zones, the areas open to improvement, and the opportunities and threats. Once this report has been produced, prioritised issues will be addressed by working groups to be set up between the Ministry of Trade and SEBKIDER, and rapid action plans will be drawn up."

Explaining that the joint working groups to be formed will assess the current situation in the free zones, identify needs and develop strategic policy proposals, the SEBKIDER Chairman said: "These groups will offer solution-focused approaches for the development of more effective policies on matters such as improving the infrastructure of the free zones, improving the business environment, increasing investment incentives, facilitating foreign trade and developing human resources. With the formation of joint working groups, strong synergy and cooperation will be established between the Ministry of Trade and SEBKIDER, and the necessary steps will be taken for the more effective development of the free zones. In this process, the views of the businesses and investors operating in the free zones will also be taken into account and action will be taken in line with a shared vision."

Avci: "SEBKIDER's Status Must Be Strengthened for Stronger Free Zones"

In his speech, SEBKIDER High Advisory Board Member Ali Avci noted that there are significant developments in free zones around the world and that Turkiye cannot remain outside these developments, saying: "In this critical period we are in, in terms of Turkiye's sustainable future, we need to prepare the free zones in our country for the requirements of the European Green Deal by placing sustainability and environmental factors at the centre of our future strategies. First of all, infrastructure and facilities need to be modernised in order to increase energy efficiency. Greater investment in renewable energy sources and the optimisation of energy consumption will be important steps in reducing the carbon footprint."

Pointing out that Turkiye needs to increase the sharing of experience and resources by cooperating with international and national partners in reaching its economic goals and the targets of the European Green Deal, Avci argued that SEBKIDER, as the NGO best placed to take on the strongest role in this area, should be given a stronger status.

Sahin: "Turkiye Is Tailor-Made for German Investment"

Kemal Sahin, Chairman of the Board of the European Free Zone Founder and Operator Inc., which hosted the event, and a member of the SEBKIDER High Advisory Board, noted that German industrialists are looking for more suitable production locations and said: "A significant part of industry is considering investing outside Germany. There is war to the east, so they cannot go there. Nor are they going to China. Poland is full as well. Even America is looking for safe countries other than China for foreign investment. This situation is a great opportunity for Turkiye."

Emphasising that, at the meetings of the DEIK Turkish-German Business Council on whose board he sits as the representative for Germany, they are developing projects to attract investment from that country to Turkiye, Sahin continued: "Our country can once again attract multi-dimensional investment from Germany and Europe. Turkiye is tailor-made for such investment. If we make our zones a little more efficient, transparent and reliable, we will become very attractive for foreign investment. If we make good use of these opportunities, we can double the foreign direct investment coming into our country. At this point our free zones need to increase in number and to expand. For that, the rules of the free zones must be clear and must not change frequently."

Emirlioglu: "We Have Established New Free Zones and Expanded the Land of Some of Our Free Zones to Meet Investor Demand"

Emel Emirlioglu, Director General of Free Zones at the Ministry of Trade, emphasised that the free zones, which have reached an investment volume of USD 7.5 billion, host 2,108 companies with growing demand, 545 of them foreign investors, and said: "When the uncertainties that the global economic climate holds for the international investment environment are taken into account, the importance of the continuous and significant increases recorded in the number of companies and foreign companies in the free zones is better understood."

Referring to the free zones recently established and expanded in order to meet investors' growing demand, she continued: "The West Anatolia Free Zone, established on 2.3 million square metres of land in the Bergama district of Izmir, became operational in 2023 and began admitting investors. New free zones of 1.5 million square metres were declared in the Menemen district of Izmir in 2022, and of 147,442 square metres in the Unye district of Ordu and 644,125 square metres in Tekkekoy, Samsun in 2023. The boundaries of the Aegean Free Zone were expanded twice, in 2016 and 2023, those of the Antalya and Bursa free zones in 2018, and those of the Kocaeli Free Zone in 2022, allocating new land for investors' use."

Referring to the importance of effective national and international promotion of our free zones in realising their potential, Emirlioglu expressed her satisfaction at the establishment of SEBKIDER.

Deputy Minister Tuzcu: "The use of high technology in free zones and digital and green transformation are among our priority objectives"

Noting that the idea of free zones has retained its value ever since it emerged in 1985, Deputy Minister Mustafa Tuzcu underlined that the objectives that existed when Free Zones Law No. 3218 was enacted are present today in a much stronger form. Emphasising that our country's targets, set out both in the 12th Development Plan and in the Medium-Term Programme, are production, employment and exports, just as in the objectives set out in the Free Zones Law, Tuzcu stressed that in the 100th year of our Republic the free zones continue to grow with an approach that aims to increase employment and prioritises production.

Tuzcu underlined that the free zones, which provided employment for up to 100,000 people and achieved exports of more than USD 12 billion in 2023, will make a major contribution to our progress towards important national targets.

Emphasising that, if the free zones were treated as a province, their export volume of USD 12.7 billion would make them our 5th largest exporting province, Tuzcu said: "If our free zones were a country, they would rank around 80th among the 167 members of the World Trade Organization, exporting more than 80 countries."

Noting that exports from the free zones correspond to approximately 6% of our country's exports, Tuzcu stated that raising this figure to 10% in the period ahead had been set as a shared objective on the occasion of the Free Zones Workshop.

Recalling that the share of products classified as high technology within the exports made from our free zones is higher than our national average, Deputy Minister Tuzcu stated that the use of high technology and work on digital and green transformation are among the priority objectives of the free zones. He also stated that the objective of attracting more foreign investment to our country by promoting the free zones more effectively on the international stage is among the priorities of the free zones in the period ahead.

He underlined that the outputs obtained at the workshop held with SEBKIDER will make an important contribution to the road map of the free zones as they enter their fortieth year.

Source: yenihaber.com.tr

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