Turkey a safe haven for investors, Davutoğlu says

THE HAGUE – Anadolu Agency

AP photo

Turkey is one of the safest and highest profit places for investment despite the geopolitical hardships the country faces, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has said at the Investors Forum held in The Hague.

“Turkey is a safe haven for foreign investors in spite of the geopolitical hardships surrounding the country,” Davutoğlu said.  

Speaking to Dutch investors, Davutoğlu said he wanted to change the win-win situation between Turkish and Dutch investors into an extra win-win situation, recalling that relations between the two countries were not new and noting the 400th anniversary of diplomatic relations was celebrated in 2012.  

The countries agreed to form an inter-governmental summit mechanism following the prime ministerial meetings between the countries at the Davos summit.

Pointing out the $21 billion in investments made by Holland in Turkey from 2002-2015, Davutoğlu said: “This not only shows the friendship between the two countries but it also shows Holland’s interest in Turkey. Today there are 2,490 Dutch firms operating in Turkey, as the [total worth of the] investments of Turkish firms in Holland reached $9 billion.”

Davutoğlu also reiterated Turkey’s political stability by saying there would not be elections in the country in the upcoming four years.

Highlighting the foreign investments made in Turkey, Davutoğlu said that in last 13 years - since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) began ruling - there had been $163 billion worth of foreign investments in Turkey, noting this number was only $14.8 billion between 1982 and 2002.

During the forum, Davutoğlu also touched upon the government’s plans to make Istanbul a financial hub and said the Bakü-Tiflis-Kars railway would be the modern version of the famous Silk Road when it was completed, adding they also planned to make Istanbul a hub for transport as well, with airways, highways and railways intersecting in the metropolis where all roads meet, just like ancient Rome.