17.03.2025 11:00
Ali Koç, Vice Chairman of the Board of Koç Holding, responded to the comments that emerged after increasing investments abroad, stating, "The mother and the calf of our businesses, most of our investments are in Turkey."
Ali Koç, during his visit to the Ford Otosan factory located in Craiova, Romania, made evaluations regarding investment strategies. Stating that they have invested 9.5 billion dollars in the automotive sector alone over the last six years, Koç emphasized that 95% of these investments were made in Turkey.
Answering questions from Vahap Munyar from Ekonomim at Ford Otosan's facilities in Craiova, Romania, Koç expressed that the economic success achieved in Turkey has also been transferred to investments in Romania, stating, "Ford Otosan's Craiova factory has become one of the most efficient production facilities in Europe. However, this step should not be interpreted as 'Koç is leaving Turkey, Ford is leaving Turkey.' Our expansions abroad contribute to the growth of our operations in Turkey," he said.
"WE MADE THE LARGEST AUTOMOTIVE INVESTMENT IN TURKEY"
Stating that Kocaeli hosts Turkey's largest automotive investment, Koç announced that 95% of the 2 billion Euro investment committed for the 2021-2026 period has been completed. He noted that the production capacity in Kocaeli has reached 612,000 and that exports, which were 6.2 billion dollars in 2021, are expected to rise to 9.4 billion dollars by 2024.
Recalling that Ford Otosan produced Turkey's first fully electric commercial vehicle in 2022, Koç stated, "We have increased the production capacity of our Yeniköy factory fourfold, making it Ford's electric commercial vehicle production hub in Europe," he said.
Koç noted that the company's global expansions contribute to the Turkish economy, stating, "Our investments abroad are an opportunity to strengthen our production in Turkey. The center of our business is Turkey, and it will continue to be so," he said.