Press release from 12.03.2008
North Rhine-Westphalia is the first german federal state to open a representative office in Istanbul
Istanbul/Düsseldorf. Today, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Economics Minister Christa Thoben officially opened NRW.INVEST Turkey, the new representative office in Istanbul. This makes North Rhine-Westphalia the first German federal state to have its own representation in Istanbul. In this way, Germany's economically strongest federal state aims to strengthen its relations with Turkey. "By opening our representative office we want to make a clear statement. Turkey is an important partner for us", emphasized Minister Thoben. "We want to develop trade and investment continuously. Many of our companies have been operating in the Turkish market for many years. At the same time, North Rhine-Westphalia is the most important location for Turkish companies in Germany."
North Rhine-Westphalia is the core state for Turkish immigration in Germany. 85,000 fellow citizens with a Turkish migration background live here, accounting for a third of all the Turkish migrants in Germany. In North Rhine-Westphalia there are approx. 24,000 companies run by Turkish migrants, of which 13,000 are to be found in the Ruhr region. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of Turkish self-employed people rose by almost 60 percent. The companies generate sales of more than 10 billion euros per year and employ more than 120,000 people.
The aim of the new representative office is to intensify the direct contacts to the Turkish economy, associations, institutions, chambers, and politicians. The head of the office is Dr. Adem Akkaya. With a doctorate in business management, one of his main takes will be to establish close contacts to the automotive supply and textile industries. It is in these sectors in particular that the state hopes to acquire further investors.
NRW.INVEST Turkey also offers potential investors from all sectors individual service – from information on markets, locations or investment conditions to practical assistance with concrete settlement projects. In the future, NRW.INVEST Turkey will work closely with the German Consulate General in Istanbul to make the approval procedures for visa applications and investment plans easier for potential investors. All measures will be accompanied by the main branch of NRW.INVEST in Düsseldorf. "We want to provide optimum service for Turkish investors to ensure that they feel at home in North Rhine-Westphalia from the very outset", emphasizes Petra Wassner, managing director of NRW.INVEST Germany.
Foreign trade and direct investment NRW/Turkey
In 2007, foreign trade between Turkey and North Rhine-Westphalia totaled approx. 6.5 billion euros and has more than doubled over the past ten years. North Rhine-Westphalia is one of Turkey's ten most important foreign trade partners. Since 2003, companies from North Rhine-Westphalia have invested approx. one billion euros per year in Turkey. At approx. 30 million euros per year, Turkish direct investments to North Rhine-Westphalia still have considerable development potential.
NRW.INVEST Turkey
Economic Development Agency of the
German State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)
Dr. Adem Akkaya
Sun Plaza Ayaza?a Mah.
Dereboyu Sok. 24/13 Maslak – Þiþli
34398 Istanbul / Türkiye
Tel.: +90 (0) 212 366 58 26
Fax: +90 (0) 212 366 58 38
E-Mail: info@nrwinvest-istanbul.com.tr
