Turkey Financial News

Posted by meb at November 3rd, 2011

Turkish contractors, long unable to receive payments for projects in an unstable Libya, woke up Wednesday with renewed hope as Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan arrived in Tripoli to discuss a solution for the problem with the country’s new rulers, the National Transitional Council (NTC).

Following months of heavy fighting against dictator Muammar Gaddafi, NTC fighters gained full control of Libya last month. Turkish construction companies that have the largest share of Turkish investments in Libya had to suspend projects following the national unrest.

Companies have failed to receive payment for projects — estimated at around $1.5 billion — they had completed prior to the uprising. (more…)

Posted by meb at November 3rd, 2011

Turkish construction companies should rush back to Libya, their one-time top market, as the government is ready to support them, according to Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan.

“Our businessmen demand a special customs permit to take their machinery and equipment to Libya,” the minister said during a press meeting yesterday in Tripoli with his Libyan counterpart.

A business assembly of 200 people accompanied the minister during the one-day visit.

Turkish companies undertook $7.627 billion worth of projects in Libya in 2009 and 2010, according to official data.

Upon Turkish Prime Minister’s order, Turkey will build schools, mosques, police stations, courts and jails in Libya, the minister said. (more…)

Posted by meb at November 3rd, 2011

The total revenue earned through online payments increased by 52 percent to 16.9 billion Turkish Liras in the year’s first nine months compared to the same period last year, according to data released yesterday.

“Almost one in every five people in Turkey now shops online,” said Soner Canko, general manager of the Interbank Card Center (BKM), speaking at Cardist 2011 International Card and Smart Technologies Exhibition & Summit held in Istanbul. He said Turkey ranked among the biggest markets in Europe regarding online commerce. The number of Internet transactions jumped 37 percent in the first three quarters compared to the same period in 2010, reaching 91.4 million transactions. (more…)

Posted by meb at October 25th, 2011

The ongoing unrest in North Africa and the Middle East have directed many investors from Gulf countries to Turkey. The newcomers include many Islamic bankers, says to top executive of Dubai-based Noor.
Turkey has attracted significant investments from Gulf countries as well as Islamic bankers due to the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the top executive of the Dubai-based Noor Islamic Bank.

“Turkey served as the safe haven regarding investments from the Middle East,” said Hussain Alqemzi, Noor’s chief executive officer, speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday on the sidelines of the Islamic Investment and Finance Forum in Istanbul.
“Certainly we would like to see more stability in the region, which would pave the way of the investment climate,” Alqemzi said, adding that the Noor Islamic Bank has been mandated to arrange and manage more than $1.4 billion Islamic finance capital market deals in Turkey in the last 18 months, making it the most active United Arab Emirate bank in the country.
(more…)

Posted by meb at October 20th, 2011

This is the best time to invest in Turkey, according to a recent report that will be presented to U.S. investors and fund managers who decide on the flow of millions of dollars in funds.

The Boston Consulting Group’s Turkey branch and the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK) will present today a report on the “Global Advantage of Turkey” at the Turkey Investment Conference in New York, hosted by the American Turkish Society and Goldman Sachs.
Automobiles, textiles, chemicals, steel and food are underlined as export champion industries in the report. It also emphasizes Turkey’s importance technologically and socially, not just the country’s strategic importance. (more…)

Posted by meb at October 19th, 2009

The Turkish Investment Summit opens at the Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel in London on Tuesday.

The three-day program will provide plenty of time for social networking, acquiring new contacts and discussing business with potential partners and clients.

Organized by the Turkish Embassy in London and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Turkish Investment Summit will provide an in-depth look into the global and domestic outlook for Turkey, including a spotlight on European Union accession. (more…)

Posted by meb at October 5th, 2009

Discussed for months but never detailed, key points of a government plan to turn Istanbul into a global financial center were finally revealed by a top minister on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference organized as part of the International Monetary Fund-World Bank annual meetings, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said Istanbul would soon become “a significant and prominent financial center.” Babacan tied the effort to the “void” created by the global financial crisis.

“Istanbul is the natural finance center of Turkey,” he told journalists. “We need to increase its competitive power regionally and globally. The competitive strength of our economy is very important.”

The project “Istanbul International Financial Center,” or IFC Istanbul, is included in the ninth development plan covering 2007-2013.

“In this action plan, in order to have Istanbul as a global finance center, priorities have been determined to build a legal infrastructure that operates on international standards, to increase diversity of financial products and services and to develop a simple and effective system,” said Babacan. “We need to enhance our legal infrastructure.” (more…)

Posted by meb at September 17th, 2009

Economy Minister Ali Babacan announces the government’s long-awaited, medium-term economic program in Ankara, emphasizing that talks with the International Monetary Fund will go on from now on based on this program. ‘IMF financing is not a must,’ he says, but notes that the difference of opinion between the government and the fund has narrowed

The Turkish government has announced plans to lower budget deficits over the next three years, saying the proposals may form the basis for a new lending accord with the International Monetary Fund, or IMF.

Under the medium-term economic plan announced by Economy Minister Ali Babacan in Ankara on Wednesday, debt will rise as a proportion of economic output this year and next, before starting to decline in 2011. Future talks with the IMF may be based on the program, though Turkey doesn’t need the fund’s cash and hasn’t included it in the fiscal projections, Babacan said. (more…)