Türkiye is a strategic center for the automobile industry

Why is Türkiye an important and strategic center for the automobile industry?

For nearly seventy-five years, Turkey has pursued the best trade, tax and monetary policies, the pace of which has increased over the past years. To advance the automotive industry sector, and attract many international companies operating in this important and vital sector.

In addition to government facilities, there are several other factors that played major roles that made Turkey an international and regional center of attraction for this important sector, including:

• Türkiye's strategic location, close to markets on three continents.

• Turkey has a developed and modern network of infrastructure, which helps in transporting and exporting products easily and quickly (train lines, sea and air ports, and highways).

• Türkiye has a skilled workforce (engineers and technicians) with modern and advanced expertise in the automobile industry.

• Turkey has a modern and huge industrial structure in various types of fields, and the presence of many Turkish factories and companies that manufacture spare parts and interior equipment used in the automobile industry.

The above had a major role in attracting the most famous international manufacturers to work in Türkiye.

The largest and most famous international manufacturers in Türkiye

In addition to the purely Turkish companies specializing in the manufacture of trucks, buses and military vehicles, in addition to the National Car Factory (TOGG), the giants of the world’s automobile industry operate today in Turkey, as there are many factories for the most famous international brands, the most prominent of which are:

• Ford, the giant American company, works in partnership with the OTOSAN factory, which is owned by the Turkish company (Koç) Holding. It has begun its work since its founding in the year 2001 in the city of Eskişehir, and the company’s factories distribute production to other cities within Turkey. Vehicles, truck engines and spare parts for many different models.

• Toyota (TOYOTA) began production in 1994 when it established its first factory in the city of Sakarya. It is worth noting that it produces two models: “TOYOTA COROLLA” and “C-HR”.

• Hyundai Company (HYUNDAI): The Korean company established its first factory in a foreign country in the Turkish city of Kocaeli in 1997. The factory produces the new “i10” model, in addition to gasoline engines for other models produced by the company.

• Renault Company (RENAULT): In 1971, the company established its factory under the name “Oyak Renault” in the city of “Bursa”, and in addition to producing engines, it produces various models of passenger cars, most notably “Clio 4”, “Clio 5”, and “Clio Spor”. Tourer", "Megane Sedan".

• Fiat Company (FIAT). The company operates under the umbrella of the Turkish company TOFAŞ, which was established in Bursa in 1968. It produces cars and light commercial vehicles of the “Egea” and “Fiorino” models.

• In addition to famous international companies such as: French Peugeot (PEUGEOT), Japanese Honda (HONDA), German Mercedes (MERCEDES) and German MAN (MAN), Turkish companies also top the list of exporters of buses, trucks and military vehicles, the most prominent of which are (KARASAN), (BMC) and Autokar. (OTOKAR) and "TEMSA"

In 2019, Anatolia Agency reported that the Iranian Khodro Company, which is considered one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the Middle East, began establishing a factory in the Turkish state of Van, in order to mitigate the effects of Western sanctions imposed on Iran.

In the following table, “Musa Cars” for car rental lists for you the names of the companies operating in Turkey, their locations and products: