Green technologies, renewable energy and artificial intelligence are expected to continue to attract investor interest and remain vibrant in the coming period, according to the head of Türkiye's Investment Office on Sunday.
Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, the head of the Presidential Investment Office, stated that they frequently communicate with foreign investors on the agenda of renewable energy investments, adding that foreign investor interest remains strong in many sectors, including technology, service exports, green technologies and artificial intelligence.
Dağlıoğlu evaluated the latest developments regarding the foreign investor interest in Türkiye following the Bridge Summit in London.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Dağlıoğlu recalled that Türkiye attracted $11.3 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) last year, evaluating the tendencies and sectors that dominated in this area.
"According to the preliminary figures announced, there is a prediction that direct investments in the world shrunk by 8% last year. In such an environment, the fact that Türkiye increased its investments by 5.6% actually shows that international investor interest continues positively," he said.
Dağlıoğlu mentioned that technology is a key area of focus for foreign direct investments and said that over $1 billion was invested in early-stage technology companies in Türkiye last year. He also pointed out that this is one of the trends which is expected to continue in the future.
He emphasized that there are successful technology initiatives in Türkiye that are developing competitive global products and services, mentioning their efforts to encourage more capital for these firms.
"As the Presidential Investment Office, we are particularly focused on encouraging capital inflow into these companies and working hard to ensure that these young technology initiatives have access to capital. Many funds are established in Turkey, but we are also trying to attract investment from other technology funds worldwide. One of our main goals in London is this," he said.
Dağlıoğlu mentioned that global sustainability concerns and geopolitical developments have led to the restructuring of supply chains, and Türkiye has become an important hub in its own region in the last five years.
"We are talking about Türkiye, which has shaped itself as a manufacturing center under the leadership of President (Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan in the past 22 years. Recently, we observe that different players and actors, especially in the industrial sector, are investing more in Türkiye, including in-service exports," he outlined.
Another important perspective he added is green technologies. He mentioned that the Energy and Natural Resources Ministry recently held certain tenders in renewable energy, and with clear goals in the 2035 strategy, there is an ongoing agenda of renewable energy investments, with frequent communication with investors.
"What we see is that these sectors will continue to attract investor interest and remain vibrant in the coming period," he said.
Dağlıoğlu also shared that artificial intelligence was one of the sectors attracting the most investment in Türkiye last year in terms of transaction volume. He mentioned that investments were being made in many areas covered by AI and that the policies in this field are very important.
"We see a greater opportunity to attract investment in artificial intelligence. Investor interest in this area is positive. We anticipate that investments will continue in AI and other fields in Türkiye," he noted.
Dağlıoğlu also stated that Türkiye, with its Customs Union agreement and free trade agreements (FTAs), has increased its exports to different regions.
"In this context, especially after the pandemic, Türkiye has become a country receiving significant investments due to the changes in the global supply chain shaped by many factors. Especially when we look at international databases, Turkey attracts the most investment projects in the industrial sector within our competitive region," he explained.
"We are also a country where international companies are making the most expansion investments in our competitive region. These companies are rapidly increasing their capacities," he furthered.
In the end, Dağlıoğlu explained that Türkiye is strengthening its position as a supply provider, and this is reflected in the export figures.
Referring to the country's exports, which he said have grown at a rate faster than the global growth, Dağlıoğlu also said that Türkiye can remain agile against possible protectionist trade policies and is expected to continue its long-term journey with positive differentiation.
