Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır voiced there is strong interest in Türkiye on Monday after a dayslong trip to China, which he said they aim to convert into substantial investments in the period ahead.
Kacır visited eight different Chinese cities last week and engaged with prominent automotive and battery manufacturing companies, including GAC AION, Chery, Zeekr, BYD, SAIC, Fararis and Huawei. He highlighted China's role as a pioneer in transforming the automotive industry.
Kacır held talks with Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun and Minister of Industry and Information Technology Jin Zhuanglong. The meetings centered on the possibilities of cooperation in many fields, from electric vehicles and battery production to renewable energy and nuclear power plants.
Chinese automotive companies have surpassed the world in innovative technologies, enabling them to export electric vehicles to global markets, the minister told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Monday.
Anticipating the emergence of new players in the global automotive market in the coming period, Kacır emphasized Türkiye's efforts to turn the electric vehicle-focused transformation into an opportunity.
He underscored the significance of the national brand Togg, which manufactures Türkiye's first homegrown electric vehicle.
"Our most important step was introducing our national brand, Togg. Promptly, Türkiye has taken a significant move to become one of the leading countries in this revolution," said Kacır.
Togg is currently producing a fully electric C-segment SUV at its plant in the northwestern Bursa province. The brand launched the production of its T10X in October 2022 before it started deliveries this April.
Besides the SUV, Togg will manufacture four other models – a sedan, C-hatchback, B-SUV and B-MPV – by 2030.
The sedan will be officially unveiled by the end of 2024 and mass production will be launched in 2025. That same year, Togg is expected to begin exports.
Kacır said 20,000 T10Xs will have been delivered by the end of the year.
Looking ahead, Kacır emphasized the government's intention to accelerate this transformation with Togg and new players.
"The transition to electric vehicles can bring multifaceted benefits to Türkiye. We emphasize the importance of electric vehicle transformation for the 2053 carbon-neutral goals," said the minister.
"Additionally, as a country that has increased the share of renewable energy in electricity production through investments in renewable energy, we foresee widespread use of electric vehicles benefiting our economy in the long term."
Expressing the desire to make the country a production hub, Kacır stated, "Our ultimate goal is to turn Türkiye into a production center for new-generation cars. To achieve this, we will continue to support Togg and make efforts to attract new investments to our country."
Kacır also mentioned discussions with Chinese electric vehicle battery maker Farasis, indicating that the company would establish a battery cell production facility in Bursa's Gemlik district in collaboration with Togg.
Highlighting support for encouraging investments in next-generation technology, Kacır said they had conveyed these opportunities to their counterparts.
"There is a strong interest in Türkiye, and our goal is to convert this interest into investments, taking steps that will enable these brands to invest in Türkiye. We made efforts toward this goal during our visits. We also saw that they closely follow Türkiye," he added.
Kacır asserted that in the coming period, existing manufacturers in Türkiye would undergo a rapid transformation focusing on innovative technologies and new players would continue to invest in the country.
Emphasizing that such trips would expedite future investments, Kacır cited a visit to Huawei, which realized significant projects in the smart transportation solutions field in the mobility sector.
"The company has an R&D center in Türkiye, contributing to crucial developments. Learning that many products and systems used in Huawei's automotive solutions have been developed in Türkiye's R&D center was a source of pride," said the minister.
"We will continue efforts to enable Türkiye to gain further momentum in this field, aiming for it to become a hub for innovative technologies in the upcoming globalization journey, with many brands and manufacturers making Türkiye their destination."
