Turkey’s Anadolu Group opens two new factories in southern province
ISPARTA - Doğan News Agency
DHA photo
The Anadolu Group opened two new production facilities in the southern province of Isparta on Aug. 12.One of the factories will make production for Coca-Cola İçecek, a majority stake of which is owned by the Anadolu Group. The second facility is owned by Anadolu Etap, the group’s fruit company, with its Brazilian partner Cutrale and Turkey’s Özgörkey Holding.
“The Anadolu Group will make an important contribution to the local and national economy by boosting production and exports through these investments,” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a speech at the opening ceremony.
“Turkey attracted billions of dollars of foreign investment between 2002 and 2016,” Erdoğan added.
$1.4 billion investment in last decade
Anadolu Group Chair Tuncay Özilhan said the group had invested $1.4 billion in the country over the last decade, along with its global partners.
“We are here opening our 10th Coca-Cola İçecek factory, constituting the last chain of the $1 billion investment plan of this unit in the last 10 years. Coca-Cola İçecek has become the largest bottlers within the Coca-Cola universe over the past 20 years,” Özilhan added.
He also said Anadolu Etap’s investments exceeded $350 million and the new plant is the third Anadolu Etap factory in Turkey, noting that the group created 30,000 direct and indirect jobs in Turkey.
“We have full confidence in the Turkish economy. We will keep making investments,” Özilhan said.
Purchases from 150,000 farmers
Coca-Cola Company Chair Muhtar Kent said Turkey had become a key production hub in the global company’s operations.
“Our company will continue to be a key driver in Turkey’s growth by creating input for many sectors. We offer income to more than 150,000 farmers through fruit and other raw material purchases,” Kent added.
Coca-Cola İçecek currently has 25 factories in 10 countries and employs 10,000 people, according to company representatives.