Hurriyet – The world’s largest manufacturer of cars, Toyota, intends to intensify operations in Türkiye, making the country an export base for markets in North Africa, the Middle East and Turkic republics.
The Japanese company’s plans for Türkiye include raising output levels and adding another production line for a new model, according to Toyota Türkiye’s General Director and CEO, Orhan Ozer.
Hit hard by the earthquake disaster in Japan and declining global demand as a result of the financial crisis, Toyota will place heavy emphasis on its Turkish plant in Adapazari, Sakarya, currently supplying mainly the European markets. “The Toyota Türkiye plant is the best among Toyota plants worldwide in terms of its production quality,” Ozer said about the Adapazari facility. “Toyota Türkiye has been exporting 91 percent of its production to Europe and the remaining 9 percent is sold on the domestic market. Within 3 years, North Africa, the Middle East and Turkic republics will be added to our export portfolio, totaling 50 countries. Toyota regards Türkiye as a key growth market along with Thailand and Taiwan,” the General Director remarked.
The automaker aims to increase its annual production in Türkiye to 177,000 and then to 200,000 cars over the next 3 years, creating 500 new jobs. A new model is also expected to enter production within that time frame. The Adapazari plant currently produces the Verso family car and the Auris hatchback. Toyota Türkiye is the only producer of the company’s Verso model, with 85 percent of vehicle components procured locally.
Toyota’s total investment in its Turkish plant amounts to EUR 1.2 billion. The addition of another production model is expected to require at least EUR 150 million of new investments.