Interview: Sani Şener What are the government’s goals for the aviation sector in Turkey over the next decade, and what is the likelihood of these objectives being achieved? SANIŞENER: Throughout the 2000s, Turkey’s aviation business performed strongly. Three main factors contributed to this success: outward foreign economic policy, political stability and the successful privatisation…
Interview: Başar Arioğlu What conditions led to a slowdown in the construction business in 2012, and what is your outlook for the sector in 2013 and beyond? BASAR ARIOĞLU: The construction sector in Turkey has three main business segments: real estate, government tenders, and the market for public-private partnerships (PPPs). The real estate industry declined sharply in 2012 due to oversupply,…
Interview: Hasan Köktaş What can energy regulators do to improve licensing procedures and dissuade speculation? HASAN KÖKTAŞ: The new Turkish Electricity Market Law has created a structure that will attract more genuine investors. For legal entities that apply to engage in electricity generation, a preliminary licence will be issued so that these entities can obtain the necessary documents like…
Interview: Ahmet Musul What are Turkey’s competitive advantages as an international logistics centre? AHMET MUSUL: Given its strategic location, Turkey has always had the potential to become a global logistics centre. However, only in the past 10 years has the country had the political stability and economic performance needed for this to materialise. Moreover, recent global developments have reinforced…
Interview: Ahmet Haluk Karabel How many housing units will Turkey have to produce to meet economic and population growth? AHMET HALUK KARABEL: It is estimated that there are currently 20m houses in Turkey. Roughly 500,000-600,000 more homes need to be built to accommodate annual population growth, though it should be noted that Turkey’s population growth rate is gradually decreasing. Over the…
Interview: Ahmet Zorlu How has the local textile industry evolved amid increasing global competition? AHMET ZORLU: Turkey has a long and illustrious history in the textile business dating back to the days of the Ottoman Empire. However, in the early 2000s, local companies in this business faced challenging conditions in the global market, which was being flooded with less expensive products from…
Interview: Alexander Medvedev What is the current status of purchasing agreements and negotiations between Gazprom and private sector gas importers in Turkey? ALEXANDER MEDVEDEV: When the contract with BOTAŞ to supply some 6bn cu metres of gas expired, we signed new contracts with four private companies for the same volume. These agreements, which were successfully implemented at the beginning of…
Interview: Mehmet Nane What key consumer trends have been the main drivers of growth in the retail industry? MEHMET NANE: Strong demographics and sustained economic development have played crucial roles in the dynamism of the retail industry. With over 700,000 young professionals entering the job market each year, the number of potential consumers has increased dramatically, as has the demand for…
Interview: Vahdettin Ertaş What key issues were addressed by the recent amendments to Turkey’s capital markets laws (CML)? VAHDETTIN ERTAŞ: The most important changes in the new CML reflect Turkey’s harmonisation process with capital markets regulations in the EU and the lessons derived from the recent global financial crisis. One of the biggest changes was in corporate governance. Starting…
Interview: Gülsüm Azeri How can Turkey work to meet its 2023 energy goals? GULSUM AZER‹: Although Turkey experienced a slowdown in 2012, over the last years the country has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This has led to accelerating energy demand across all domestic industries. According to figures provided by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, the total primary…
