오늘날, 산업용 제품 생산재(이 부문에서 자동차가 가장 많이 팔렸다 )가 터키수출의 90퍼센트 이상을 차지한다.

터키가 유럽과 아시아 시장의 게이트웨이로 간주되면서, 세계 일류 자동차 제조업체들은 국내시장에서의 판매를 확대하면서 더넓은 시장진입을 위한 기지로서 터키 선호도가 날로 증가하고 있다.

터키의 자동차분야는 거대 자동차회사들의 주목을 끌면서 2007년도에는 1백10만대의 차량을 생산하였다.
2008년도 1/4분기에는 그 생산량이 42퍼센트 증가하였고...


Turkey now a base for auto exports

Turkey is growing as an export base for automotive manufacturers and auto-related sub-industries because of its strategic market location, industry incentives, low cost, abundance of skilled labor, customs union with the EU and high technology and know-how.

Emerging from a financial crisis in 2001, Turkey has successfully transformed itself into a highly competitive economy, attracting a sizable portion of foreign investment in the auto sector. Today, industrial goods account for more than 90 percent of Turkey's exports, with automobiles the most-sold item in this category. Seeing Turkey as a gateway to European and Asian markets, the world's leading auto manufacturers are increasingly opting to use Turkey as a base of operations to gain access to wider markets while expanding their sales figures in the domestic market. All indications show Turkey is on its way to becoming a global automotive hub.

The Turkish automotive sector reached a record-level figure of 1.1 million motor vehicles manufactured in 2007 by attracting the attention of giant automotive firms. In the first quarter of 2008, the production figure increased by 42 percent, and projects indicate that another 250,000 vehicles will be produced by year-end. Turkish officials say Turkey is expected to become the world's 10th in terms of the highest number of motor vehicles produced in the next four years. Turkish carmakers ship passenger and commercial cars to Germany, France, Italy, Britain and Russia. Industry and Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan said at a press briefing earlier this month, "Turkey aims to reach $25 billion in automotive exports and to allocate $20 billion for research and development by 2011."

As of today, Turkey is the world's 17th-largest auto manufacturer. Its automotive production plants have a combined annual production capacity of 1.5 million vehicles. It is the European Union's leading manufacturer of passenger buses and third in trucks and commercial vehicles. Turkey attaches special importance to R&D development in the auto sector to maintain a knowledge base for the industry.

The government passed a reform to the tax code, providing a 90 percent tax break to companies engaged in research and development. But Turkey also faces challenges from neighbors Romania, Hungary and Greece as alternative manufacturers supplying to Europe.

Despite price hikes in raw materials such as steel, the latest figures show Turkey's automotive industry exports rose 52 percent in the first four months of 2008 over the same period of last year, reaching $8.99 billion. Association of Automotive Parts & Components Manufacturers (TAYSAD) President Erkut Özarman has said "they expect to sell over 1 million vehicles to foreign markets by the end of this year." Özarman also noted that new vehicle models are driving the market, while production plants are operating with extreme efficiency. "The capacity of auto plants reached over 100 percent this year, compared to 86 percent last year," he added.

While the auto industry is growing both as an export base and in terms of domestic consumption, the auto parts sector is also expanding to meet the need for spare parts for vehicles. Automotive spare parts industry exports also increased, by 44 percent to $2.69 billion in the January-April 2008 period over the same period last year. Many US, European and Asian companies have invested in Turkey to provide spare parts and subcomponents to the growing auto industry. Besides the national and European market, Turkey is also focusing on the US market, the world's largest auto market, with a value of $198 billion. Last year, Turkey exported only $210 million worth of cars and spare parts to the US, and its target is $3 billion annually by 2013, according to a TAYSAD report.

In terms of vehicle exports, Ford Otosan maintained its lead in the first four months of this year, increasing its exports by 33.2 percent to 94,430 vehicles. Oyak Renault was second, with 93,064 vehicle exports in an increase of 33.2 percent over the same period last year. Tofaş Fiat's exports increased by 100.9 percent to 86,613, third place. Toyota Turkey exported 55,232 vehicles, followed by Hyundai Assan with 20,242.

In the meantime new vehicle sales in Turkey shot up by 11.7 percent in April 2008, reaching 50,956 units, according to Turkey's Automotive Manufacturers Association (OSD). But increasing fuel prices and less than favorable interest rates for loans in the country are major obstacle to domestic car sales. In the first quarter of this year, 130,000 cars were sold to domestic consumers. The year-end projection for this trend is 500,000 vehicles. Last year, a total 641,000 cars were sold domestically. The Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) yesterday announced new car registration figures. First quarter results showed that new car registrations increased by 22 percent over the same period last year, a total of 231,104 vehicles. Turkey's largest conglomerate, the Koç Group, has reported that its auto companies recorded 13 percent growth despite shrinkage in domestic demand last year. Koç currently accounts for 46 percent of Turkey's automotive production and 45 percent of exports. Its dominance in the market has begun to decrease as new car manufacturers exploring investment options for Turkey.

The latest carmaker to enter the Turkish market was China's Chery Group, which aims to manufacture 100,000 cars annually in Turkey and export half of them. Chery currently sells cars in 64 countries worldwide. Zhou Biren, the group's vice president of the group, said at press briefing: "To be successful in Turkey is for us also an indication of being successful in Europe, because the preferences of Turkish customers are the same as the [that of those in the] EU. This is why Turkey is the first stop, right before the EU market. If Chery prospers in Turkey, it would be easier for us to move on to Europe. Our aim is to reach Europe through Turkey."

Malaysia's leading carmaker, Proton, also plans to establish a manufacturing facility in Turkey in order to stage a return to the Turkish market and provide a base for supplying European markets. Proton will join other foreign automotive companies operating in Turkey, including names like Renault, Fiat, Toyota, Hyundai and Honda. There are also reports coming from the Industry and Trade Ministry that an unspecified auto industry giant is preparing to invest $1.26 million in Turkey's automotive industry, which would create 5,000 jobs.

Birleşik Metal-İş Sendikası (United Metal Workers' Union) Secretary-General Mehmet Selçuk Göktaş acknowledges the growth in the automotive sector and the corresponding increase in employment opportunities. "Cheap labor is the driving force that attracts foreign investment here in Turkey," he said, but lamented the fact that the industry growth rate is not matched by an equivalent increase in employment opportunities. He also criticizes the increasing workload on workers and loopholes in the social security system favoring employers.

Source: Today's Zaman - GAI