Turkey ranks 20th most popular spot for FDI, rising two spots

Turkey saw an FDI inflow worth $16.5 billion in 2015, a 36 percent increase from the previous year, rising by four points to 8th among emerging markets, according to the latest World Investment Report 2016 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 

Turkey took a 1 percent share of the entire FDI flow in 2015. The country lured the highest amount of FDI among all West Asia countries, according to the report, which was announced by the International Investors Association (YASED). 

“Turkey attracted the fifth highest amount of FDI in the emerging Asian region... Turkey’s geographical location plays a crucial role in attracting direct investment from abroad… We need to all work together in a bid to improve our country’s investment climate and increase our share in the global FDI flow, as it is quite obvious that foreign capital plays a locomotive role in maintaining sustainable growth and a heathier ecosystem,” said YASED vice chair Tankut Turnaoğlu. 

Turnaoğlu noted that 125 YASED members in the Istanbul Chamber of Industry’s Top 500 List made some 42 percent of the country’s total exports, performed 31 percent of the production-to-sales, created some 29 percent of the total employment and made 37 percent of the research and development investments in 2015. 

“As YASED members, we will continue to support all efforts to improve Turkey’s investment environment, increase its attractiveness in the global arena and raise the productivity level of investments,” he added. 

The global FDI flow from 2015 rose by 38 percent to $1.76 trillion due to a rise in the number of global merger and acquisition transactions, mainly in developed countries. The FDI inflow to developed countries rose to $962 billion in 2015, an 84 percent increase from the previous year. 

At the same time, the FDI inflow to emerging markets also rose to its highest level by increasing 9 percent to $765 billion in 2015 compared to the previous year.