Germany’s Siemens may invest in Turkey for imaging device: President Erdoğan

Vahap Munyar

The German giant Siemens may start producing diagnostic imaging device in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said after his meetings with German companies during an official visit to the country last weekend.

The Turkish and German health ministries “may take some joint steps” on the issue of devices such as MR and tomography,” Erdoğan told a group of journalists on his way from Germany to Turkey. Erdoğan said he met with the CEO of the company and added that the production of these devices in Turkey may be realized.

In a breakfast with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sept. 29, they mostly discussed economic cooperation, he said, adding that relevant ministers will conduct work on possible cooperation areas and a German delegation of ministers and businesspeople will pay a visit to Turkey on Oct. 25

Siemens may make investments in several areas and this issue will be discussed later on, he added. He also signaled cooperation on railways.

“In the breakfast we discussed the issue of railways with Merkel as well. We will follow this issue,” he stated.

Recalling that some 110-150 German companies are operating in Turkey, Erdoğan said Ankara wants these companies to make further investments in his country. “We want to promote these companies to make new investments,” he said, noting that Turkey may make cooperation with German automobile companies as well.

In April, the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) signed a contract for 10 Velaro high-speed trains with Siemens.

A consortium of Siemens and Turkey’s Türkerler and Kalyon Enerji holdings won a billion-dollar wind energy tender on Aug. 3, offering the lowest price to the state with $3.48 cents per kilowatt hour.