Turkey's Gaziantep ranks among top-10 largest European cities for FDI strategy

Thanks to the government's effort to create an investment ecosystem in southeastern Turkey's Gaziantep, the city has ranked among the Top 10 Large European Cities of the Future 2018/19 for FDI Strategy.

Gaziantep ranked ninth in the European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/19 - FDI Strategy, carried out by fDi Intelligence, a Financial Times service that specializes in all areas relating to foreign direct investment (FDI), investment promotion and economic development.

Burhan Akyılmaz, secretary general of Silkroad Development Agency (İKA) said Gaziantep outranked some major European cities in terms of economic, business and financial power. It stood out in terms of development in the investment environment, economic development and growth in the business environment.

He said that İKA's "One Stop Shop" model, established under the Investment Support Office in 2017, has borne its first fruit. He added that their Investment Support Offices, which operate within the agency, are its important, outward-facing parts that work like local advisors to domestic and foreign investors.

Akyılmaz said that these offices were responsible for conducting analysis, report and strategy as well as inventory studies on the region's business and investment environment. They then provide the information to investors and guide them. They also run joint studies with related institutions and organizations, follow the investments, attract new investors, finalize their permit and license their transactions. The İKA secretary general recalled that in 2017, they began offering the "One Stop Shop" service to investors, who came to the region through Gaziantep Investment Support Office. "With this system, everything from permit to licensing is done at one hub, streamlining the whole process for foreign investors," he said.