COUNTRY PROFILE:

Emerging power: Recent changes suggest the country is set to gain greater regional and international influence Interview: Zafer Çağlayan, Minister of Economy Turning the page: Significant development has occurred over the last decade Interview: M Rifat Hisarc›klıoğlu, President, Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey Interview: Hüseyin Diriöz, Ambassador and Assistant Secretary-General for Defence Policy and Planning, NATO ECONOMY Soft landing: Growth continues at a slower pace, although more will need to be done to rein in the current account deficit Interview: Nicole Bricq, French Minister for Foreign Trade An unorthodox approach: Understanding the central bank’s corridor interest rate policy A new era: Resolving the conflict in the south-east may bring economic benefits Interview: Ahmet Aksu, President, Turkish Privatisation Administration Interview: Ali Sabanc›, Chairman, Pegasus Airlines Reality check: Analysing the government’s targets for 2023 Viewpoint: Mark Lewis, Senior Resident Representative in Turkey, IMF BANKING Looking ahead: The sector is ready for growth after coming through the economic crisis relatively unscathed Interview: Erdem Baflçı, Governor, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Dialogue: Hakan Atefl, CEO, Denizbank, and Süleyman Aslan, CEO, Halkbank Sitting on a gold mine: Heavy investment in precious metals means lots of potential Enough to go around: Lending is on the rise in a number of segments On the international stage: Local players retain a large share, but global banks remain interested CAPITAL MARKETS The next stage: A strong performance in 2012 as efforts to broaden the market continue Interview: Vahdettin Ertafl, Chairman, Capital Markets Board Interview: İbrahim Turhan, Chairman and CEO, Borsa Istanbul Aiming high: The government works to develop Istanbul as a global financial centre Viewpoint: Özgür Güneri, CEO, Finansinvest New directions: The growing popularity of Islamic bonds Modern times: Legal changes and product introduction herald a new era Making the grade: An upgrade by one of the major ratings agencies spurs capital inflows Stocks & bonds: Share analysis & data provided by Finansinvest Aygaz: Energy Garanti Bank: Banking Alarko: Diversified Anadolu Efes: Beverages IST30: Exchange-traded fund FBIST: Exchange-traded fund INSURANCE Leaping ahead: Following years of slow growth, 2012 sees big returns for the sector Interview: Mehmet Bostan, Chairman, Pension Monitoring Centre A merging movement: Consolidation calling Planning for pensions: New reforms have incentivised personal savings ENERGY Keeping up with demand: The government seeks new sources of energy Interview: Hasan Köktaş, President, Energy Market Regulatory Authority Interview: Rövnag Abdullayev, President, SOCAR Taking another look: Stepping up efforts in exploration and production Pipelines in the sky: Plenty of plans, but so far little action Interview: Gülsüm Azeri, CEO, OMV Turkey Going green: A look at the alternative energy options Revisiting old territory: A renewed interest in using coal to fire power plants Interview: Alexander Medvedev, Director-General, Gazprom Export INDUSTRY & RETAIL Key targets: The national development strategy has high GDP and export aims Steel support: Metals production climbs with exports playing a central role Interview: Mehmet Büyükekfli, Chairman, Turkish Exporters’ Assembly Interview: Ahmet Zorlu, Chairman, Zorlu Holding Head out on the highway: International automotive companies gain a presence via joint ventures Viewpoint: Norbert Klein, CEO for Turkey, Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Bosch Siemens Home Appliances Targeting changing markets: Declining European economies are affecting the direction of exports Bringing chemicals into the mix: A growing sub-sector is changing the import and export rankings Keeping up with tradition: Sales of textiles and clothing remain steady Interview: Mehmet Nane, President, Shopping Centres and Retailers Association Shop ‘til you drop: New malls and loyalty to local stores keep spending numbers high CONSTRUCTION & REAL ESTATE Thinking big: Large projects are on the horizon, but consumer confidence has yet to show significant improvement Interview: Ahmet Haluk Karabel, President, Housing Development Administration of Turkey Viewpoint: Mehmet Ali Neyzi, CEO, STFA Urban transformation: Taking steps to prepare for an earthquake Interview: Başar Ar›oğlu, Managing Director, Yap› Merkezi A home for development: Foreign interest continues to support growth in the market Ready for business: Plans are under way for a new financial centre and more malls TRANSPORT Unified vision: Economic growth is spurring investment in the sector Interview: Sani Şener, President & Group CEO, TAV Airports Interview: Ahmet Musul, Chairman, Ekol Logistics Third’s a charm: Ambitious plans for a new Istanbul airport are gaining traction Breaking barriers: The logistics sector moves to unify national trade networks AGRICULTURE Seeds of success: Record foreign investment is propelling modernisation of the sector A thermal injection: Greenhouse expansion to boost agriculture investment Eating well: The domestic market is projecting significant growth The cutting edge: Technological advances are helping to produce and harvest crops TELECOMS & IT Hold the phone: New technology adoption fuels growth despite high tax burden Need for speed: 4G mobile network technology offers competitive advantages Interview: Hakam Kanafani, CEO, Türk Telekom Group Interview: Faruk Eczac›bafl›, Vice-Chairman, Eczac›bafl› Holding, and Chairman, Turkish Informatics Foundation Virtual connections: Infrastructure expansion is aiding growth in spite of piracy challenges TOURISM Maturing gracefully: Aspiring to become a year-round destination through niche offerings Making inroads: The MICE segment is seeking to expand to new corners of the country Healthy numbers: Low cost and quality-assured health services provide the right formula Spreading their wings: Domestic travellers are a growing market EDUCATION & RESEARCH Ready to achieve: Cultivating human capital to meet development goals Going international: Universities take steps to raise foreign student numbers Interview: Umran İnan, President, Koç University Interview: Yücel Altunbaşak, President, Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) Shifting gears: Focus to be placed on creativity along with improving the legal framework A new type of park: Technoparks are drawing international and local interest HEALTH Transformative change: Reforms have resulted in significant gains, although mounting costs remain a concern MEDIA & ADVERTISING Reading the future: Expanding beyond national borders Interview: Nuri Çolakoğlu, President, Doğan Media International On the silver screen: Domestic cinema is coming into its own New rules and regulations: A draft law will restructure media oversight TAX Consulta By the books: A look at laws and regulations for both corporations and individuals Encouraging investment: A new raft of incentives is aimed at improving competitiveness Viewpoint: Emre Burçkin, Chairman of the Board, Consulta LEGAL FRAMEWORK Herg üner Bilgen Özeke Setting the foundation: Legislative reforms in support of the 2023 development goals Viewpoint: Ümit Hergüner, Senior Partner, Hergüner Bilgen Özeke THE GUIDE Going for gold: Olympic bid sets the tone for infrastructure development in Istanbul Home away from home: Hotels Listings: Contact numbers for government agencies and business services Facts for visitors: Useful information for first-time and returning visitors