This chapter contains useful information for visitors to Turkey, including visa requirements, listings of recommended hotel, and contact information for foreign missions, travel agencies, hospitals and other important institutions. It also contains features pieces exploring the history of Istanbul’s famed Maiden’s Tower and the Aegean island getaway of Bozcaada.…
This chapter examines the legal environment in Turkey, focusing on how changes in regulations are enabling investment across the country’s many business sectors. It also contains a viewpoint from Harun Kılıç, Partner at Kılıç and Partners.…
This chapter examines the tax environment in Turkey, looking at a pending new income tax as well as how the tax law deals with corporations. It also includes an analysis on the various ways that Turkey’s investment climate could be improved in the context of taxation.…
With a selection of archaeological ruins to rival that of Italy and Greece, 7200 km of scenic coastline, Istanbul’s unique blend of rich heritage and cosmopolitan culture, and an advantageous location at the crux of three continents, Turkey’s diverse visitor offerings have seen its popularity grow rapidly over the past decade and the country is now becoming a leading international tourism hotspot.…
Driven by government reforms, increased private sector investment, and one of the largest and youngest populations in Europe, Turkey’s education sector has grown and matured impressively over the past decade. As the country moves forward on a host of education targets, including Vision 2023’s goal of reducing unemployment to 5%, key indicators such as literacy and enrolment have shown improvement.…
Great strides have been made in Turkey’s health care sector since 2003, when the government launched its far-reaching Health Transformation Programme (HTP). The HTP eventually led to the establishment of universal health insurance, while opening services and private hospitals to the majority of Turks. Improvements in patient satisfaction and health indicators have been steady, with infant and maternal…
Turkey has easy and direct access by road, sea and, to a lesser extent, rail to markets with 1.5bn people and a combined GDP of $25trn. In 2012 Turkey handled 1.2% of global trade, and this is expected to exceed 1.5% by 2025. The 2014 budget allocated €16.72bn to transport, of which €2.04bn was earmarked for rail, almost double that going to the road network. At €3.27bn, the Marmaray project…
Substantial rainfall in the winter and spring, coupled with heavy snow in many regions, broke the drought that hit Turkey’s agriculture sector hard in 2013-14, with farmers looking forward to improved yields and higher earnings, and rebounding from a lean year that saw one of the region’s leading agriculture producers having to import grain and other foodstuffs. Agriculture provides jobs for around…
Over the last decade, the construction sector has transformed the skyline of Istanbul and other cities, renewed and extended Turkey’s transport infrastructure, and built new communities and facilities from the Aegean to the Caucasus. Construction employs tens of thousands directly and has also established a range of related industries— such as construction machinery, building materials, engineering…
Given its reliance on energy imports and the economy’s recent slowdown, Turkey has benefitted from the sharp decline in oil prices in late 2014 and early 2015. The country has boosted energy supplies to support future economic growth, while seeking to reduce its energy dependence. In addition, a long-running dream to become an energy hub is starting to become a reality. Significant investment from…
