Turkey is cradle of investment: Int'l business body

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey is the cradle of investment with a large number of opportunities, said Bader Al Saeed, the head of the Badeer Investment Platform, on Wednesday.

"Investment opportunities, which are provided in Turkey, cannot be found in any other countries," he told the I. Business World and Investment Opportunities Summit in Istanbul.

The two-day summit, with the support of Turkish Presidency's Investment Office and the Turkish Trade Ministry, kicked off on Wednesday.

The country offers an environment of trust, peaceful atmosphere, infrastructure, and superstructure for investments, he stated.

Saeed said that the Qatari-Turkish joint Badeer Investment Platform would assist international investors -- who have plans to make an investment in Turkey.

Muhanned Al Masri, the chairman of the executive council of Dubai based Damsco Group, said Turkey is a favorable country to invest with its safety and stability.

"Especially Arab investors benefit from Turkey's distinguished environment," he added.

Mehmet Fatih Kacir, the vice president of Turkey's industry and technology ministry, invited international investors to invest in technology start-ups in Turkey.

"Turkey has over 20 technoparks, and more than 1,000 research and development centers," he said.

He underlined that Turkey provides incentives in several sectors such as manufacturing, automotive, education, rail and seaways, and energy.

International investors, who earn in Turkey, can transfer their incomes via banks and financial institutions without constraint, Kacir stressed.

He also said Turkey has a market of 80 million population and it is a regional hub to reach $28 trillion-economy.