FDI inflow into Türkiye totaled USD 13.2 billion in 2018, up 14 percent year-on-year at a time when the global appetite for FDI shrank a considerable amount. This shows that despite all the adversities Türkiye has undergone in the past two years, there has been no decrease in investor appetite in the country.
Figures for 2018 FDI and expectations for 2019 in Türkiye were evaluated at a press conference hosted by the Investment Office and SOCAR Türkiye. Investment Office President Arda Ermut said that SOCAR Türkiye’s Star Refinery investment was one of the largest industrial projects and the largest single-location real sector investment in Türkiye. “In 2018, when total global FDI experienced a very serious decline, Türkiye's annual FDI performance marked an important achievement,” said Ermut. "With this success, Türkiye has once again demonstrated that it is a trusted country on a global scale with sound economic fundamentals. We previously said that we would exceed last year's figure before the end of the year, and we realized this with a 14 percent increase."
In 2019, a further increase in FDI into Türkiye is expected thanks in part to an improving global economy, the end of the recession concerns in Europe, and Türkiye’s transition to the executive presidential system, which strengthened the political stability in Türkiye and saw the continuation of economic reforms.