Recently, at the official launch ceremony of the Turkey Citizenship by Investment Program in China, grandly hosted by WorldWay Group in collaboration with the Turkish government, His Excellency Abdulkadir Emin Önen, the Turkish Ambassador to China, delivered a brilliant speech. The audience responded with enthusiastic applause and remained captivated throughout. For more authentic and exciting content, please see the following speech highlights exclusively compiled by WorldWay Group:
Ladies and gentlemen, friends, good afternoon (in Chinese) (applause):
My Chinese is limited, so I will continue my speech in English. First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizer, WorldWay Group, for meticulously preparing this exchange platform themed around Turkey this beautiful afternoon.
My sharing this afternoon is divided into five parts. First, I would like to introduce Turkey to you, and then I will share the macroeconomic outlook of Turkey, why you should invest in Turkey, the current overview of foreign direct investment in Turkey, and the Turkish investment immigration policy.
2019 is the Year of Göbeklitepe in Turkey. Before I officially begin my speech, I would like to show you a short video about Göbeklitepe. Please look at the big screen.
(Video subtitle translation) 7,000 years before the pyramids and 6,000 years before Stonehenge, this is an ancient miracle. Rising from a hilltop in southeastern Turkey, it is Göbeklitepe. Built by ancient humans 11,600 years ago, there were no iron tools or wheels for transportation at that time. Before the dawn of writing and construction engineering, a temple stood tall. It is supported by precisely cut 14-ton stone pillars, carved with totems, animal images, and mysterious symbols. It is so complex and immortal that it has completely changed our perception of the ancient world. Who built Göbeklitepe? How was it built? And what was the purpose of the ancients building it? Join us on a wonderful journey of exploration—Göbeklitepe: Back to the Beginning of Time.
Why did I play this short video for you?
The first reason: Through this short video, I believe you can feel the long-standing history and culture of Turkey. The second reason: Göbeklitepe is located in my hometown—Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
Many Chinese friends often ask me why they should go to Turkey? There are actually many reasons why Turkey attracts you. Due to limited time today, I will briefly point out a few.
First, Turkey has an irreplaceable strategic advantage. As we all know, Turkey is located at the center of Asia, Africa, and Europe. This unique geographical location makes Turkey an Asian country, a European country, a Mediterranean country, a Black Sea country, an Aegean country, a Middle Eastern country, as well as a Caucasian and Balkan country.
The second reason is that, thanks to Turkey's location at the throat of the Eurasian continent, Turkey, an ancient civilization with a long history, has been an important global hub for trade and migration since ancient times. Speaking of the Ancient Silk Road familiar to the Chinese people, if China is the eastern gate of the Ancient Silk Road, Turkey is its western gate.
The third reason is that the Italian composer Vivaldi once composed the famous concerto "The Four Seasons." I think using "The Four Seasons" to describe Turkey's weather is most appropriate. Throughout the four seasons in Turkey, regardless of the heat or cold, you can experience different cultures, food, tourism, and social customs.
The fourth reason is that the hospitality of the Turkish nation and the Turkish people is world-renowned, stemming from the rich history of the Turkish nation and the spirit of enthusiasm and diligence inherited by its descendants. Every year, Turkey hosts 14 million travelers from all over the world.
The fifth reason is Turkey's most important city—Istanbul. Napoleon once said: "If the world were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital." Istanbul is the cradle of many civilizations and the ancient capital of many imperial empires. It is a historic peninsula city with numerous natural landscapes and historical sites. This city is very special.
Based on the above reasons, more and more expatriates around the world are choosing to migrate to Turkey to start their new lives and new jobs. Some investors or expatriate friends even plan their retirement in Turkey.
Currently, the Turkish real estate market is booming. Many international investors choose to buy property in Turkey. The main buyers of Turkish real estate come from the UK, the US, France, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, and some other peninsula countries. Because the "Turkish Real Estate Law" has removed the reciprocity principle, international investors are now able to freely purchase real estate in Turkey.
Next, I will introduce some of Turkey's economic performance: Turkey is one of the most dynamic economies in the world today, and undoubtedly, it is also one of the most attractive investment destinations. From 2002 to 2017, Turkey's national growth rate averaged 5.8% over the fifteen-year period. Turkey's current economic performance is very strong; today's Turkey is the 17th largest economy in the world and the 6th largest in Europe. According to Standard Chartered Bank's assessment of GDP based on purchasing power parity, Standard Chartered Bank estimates that by 2030, Turkey will be the fifth largest economy in the world. I would like to share my personal opinion with the friends here. Do you know which country I think will be the world's strongest economy in 2030? A little hint: the capital of this country is Beijing. (Applause from the audience) In the future, we also hope that Turkey and China can have more frequent interactions in economy and trade.
Thanks to sound government macroeconomic strategies, prudent national fiscal policies, and active policy reforms, Turkey's GDP growth rate reached 7.4% in 2017, making it the fastest-growing country among G20 nations and the second in the OECD. Last year, due to unilateral sanctions and financial challenges from certain countries, Turkey's GDP growth rate was 2.6%. Turkey's rapid economic growth has benefited the middle class, which accounts for a large proportion of the population. Over the past 16 years, the purchasing power of the middle class has doubled twice. In 2017, Turkey's GDP per capita was 27,092 USD.
Turkey is located at the center of the Eurasian continent. Since 1996, it has established a Customs Union with the European Union. To date, Turkey has signed 27 free trade agreements with countries in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Balkans. For Chinese investors, this means: Turkey will be a production hub most conducive to business and trade, leading to European markets and other regions. Entering Turkey is equivalent to opening the door to the European market from Turkey. A 4-hour flight from Istanbul can reach 57 different countries, accessing multiple markets with a total GDP of 24 trillion USD.
Of course, our country also relies on qualified human resources and a competitive local free market to become the fourth largest business and trade partner of the EU after China, the US, and Russia. Now, what is displayed on the big screen are some international brands you are familiar with, and these international brands have all established their production centers in Turkey.
Another major characteristic of Turkey lies in its demographic structure, which mainly has two features. First, Turkey's workforce is highly educated and skilled. Second, Turkey's population structure is young, with the national average age being under 31, and Turkey's population grows by about 1 million each year.
Below is the data regarding foreign direct investment in Turkey. In the 15-year period from 2003 to 2017, the total amount of foreign direct investment in Turkey reached 195.05 billion USD. If categorized by the country and region of the foreign investor, Europe accounts for the largest share, approximately 74%, followed by the Americas and Asia. Currently, the most popular industry for foreign direct investment is the service sector, accounting for 60%.
More than 61,000 foreign-invested enterprises have been established in Turkey. Among them, there are about 1,000 Chinese-invested companies, and the number is continuously growing. Turkey provides excellent business development prospects and favorable policies for Chinese investors and Chinese enterprises. The industries of Chinese foreign investors developing in Turkey are mainly concentrated in banking, power construction, infrastructure, IT, mining, agriculture, and transportation. Displayed on the screen are well-known Chinese giant enterprises that have taken root in Turkey.
On July 17, 2003, the "Foreign Direct Investment Law of Turkey" came into effect: It abolished the foreign investment approval system, introduced an advanced system of equal treatment and free repatriation of capital, and brought more and better favorable policies for foreign investors. This not only improved the convenience of foreign direct investment but also greatly increased the returns that foreign direct investment can create for enterprises operating in Turkey.
Turkey actually established very good trade relations with China a long time ago. Since 1990, Turkey has signed a bilateral investment protection agreement with China. Since 1996, Turkey has signed a double taxation treaty with China, which means that Turkey is ready to welcome the arrival of Chinese investors.
Since 2012, the Turkish government has vigorously promoted and implemented many incentive policies for foreign investment in Turkey. The incentive policies cover many preferential benefits, such as tax exemptions, social security benefits for enterprise employees, land allocation, and financial support. Facts have proven that the implementation of incentive policies is very successful in encouraging foreign investment in Turkey.
Investment incentive policies are designed according to the different needs of foreign investors. Based on different industrial needs, different enterprise scales, different industry operations, or the different terminal products you produce, 5 types of investment incentive plans have been designed for you, mainly including regional investment plans, priority investment plans, large-scale investment plans, strategic investment plans, and general investment incentive plans. If you have any needs, you can consult the Turkish Embassy in Beijing.
In addition, I would like to show you that the location on the screen I am pointing to is my hometown, where Göbeklitepe is located. Among the investment incentive policies I just mentioned, my hometown is located in the 6th investment region, and many foreign investors have benefited from such investment incentive policies.
According to Article 12 of the "Turkish Citizenship Law" No. 5901, foreign nationals are allowed to obtain Turkish citizenship through specific investment means. The Presidential Decree No. 106 issued in 2018 also clarified the investment amount. Next, I will provide you with a specific analysis.
What is displayed on the screen are the regulations of the Turkish investment immigration policy regarding investment requirements.
The first investment method is to purchase local real estate in Turkey with an amount of 250,000 USD or equivalent in Lira, and hold it for 3 years to obtain Turkish citizenship. In previous legal regulations, the investment amount to obtain Turkish citizenship through real estate investment was 1 million USD. Currently, it has been reduced to 250,000 USD. The second investment method is to deposit 500,000 USD in a Turkish bank and lock it for 3 years.
The third investment method requires recognition by the Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology, with a fixed asset investment of at least 500,000 USD. The fourth investment method is to purchase Turkish government bonds for three years and hold them for more than three years, as recognized by the Turkish Ministry of Treasury and Finance. The fifth investment method is to invest 500,000 USD in Turkish real estate investment trusts or purchase shares of Turkish venture capital funds.
That is all for my sharing today. Thank you all for coming. At the same time, I would like to thank the organizer, Chairman Dr. Xing of WorldWay Group, and also thank the Chairman of the Turkish developers who came from afar. Finally, thank you all again, and I hope you have found your reasons to live and invest in Turkey.
The official launch ceremony of the Turkey Citizenship by Investment Program was filled with distinguished guests.
His Excellency Abdulkadir Emin Önen's brilliant speech was unanimously praised by the audience. The successful holding of this official launch ceremony of the Turkey Citizenship by Investment Program in China signifies that the Turkey Citizenship by Investment Program, which is highly sought after and anticipated by global investors, has been officially launched in the Greater China region with the strong support of the Turkish government. We will continue to update more exciting content from the guest speeches. For detailed inquiries, please call: 400-138-2929
The copyright of this article belongs to WorldWay Group. If you need to reproduce or publish this article by means of reprinting, linking, reposting, or any other way, please be sure to indicate that the copyright of the article comes from WorldWay Group. Violators will be held legally responsible. The information or opinions in this article are for reference only.