Friday, August 6, 2010
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
| Photo:Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan (C), Turkish officials and Foxconn executives shake hands after the signing ceremony in Istanbul on Aug. 6, 2010. |
Taiwan-based technology giant Foxconn has chosen Turkey as a strategic production base, signing on Friday an agreement to invest in one of the biggest industry parks in the country. The European Free Zone, or ASB, will produce 3 million computers annually to export to the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.
Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan, chairman of the Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey Alparslan Korkmaz, who earlier this week announced his resignation, Tuna Kardeş, Foxconn’s general manager in Turkey and Kemal Şahin, board chairman at ASB, attended the signing ceremony in Istanbul.
Focusing on nano-technology heat transfer, wireless connectivity, material sciences and green manufacturing process, Foxconn will be setting up a new manufacturing base at the ASB.
Foxconn will produce computers for Hewlett-Packard in Turkey, creating 1,500 jobs. The facility will start operations in January 2011.
When the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review asked Kardeş about worker suicides at Foxconn’s China plants, Kardeş preferred not to reply. Çağlayan, however, responded to the same question: “We have good standards of working conditions in Turkey, with a well–designed social security system. We monitor the working conditions of the employees to be sure about their safety,” he said, adding, “I assume that the working conditions of [Foxconn employees] will be better than Turkish journalists in general, so there is no need to be concerned.”
According to press reports, 13 suicide attempts have taken place at Foxconn’s Shenzen plant since January, with half of them in May. Ten employees, aged between 18 and 24, died.
Employing more
“Foxconn conducted long and detailed feasibility research before deciding to invest in Turkey,” Kardeş said. “We are aiming to reach 3,000 employees in the future. We plan to make an additional investment of $10 million into the zone to build waste treatment facilities, fiber optic infrastructure and warehouses.”
“Foxconn, by taking part in the European Free Zone, will contribute to the growth of Turkey and the increase in employment,” said Minister Çağlayan. “We are working on making free industrial zones attractive locations for foreign investors.”
“Turkey is now attracting the world’s biggest companies, as we see in Foxconn’s investment,” the minister said. “I believe that this investment … will create a snowball effect, triggering more.”
Çağlayan said claims about a “shift of axis” in foreign exports from western countries to the east is not based on facts, since Turkey has also increased its exports to Europe to 2.665 billion euros this year, compared to 2.249 billion euros in 2009.
“Turkey has an aim of reaching to $500 billion in exports by the year 2023. This aim will be achieved by trading not only with west but also with the east, in accordance with our ‘zero problem policy’ with neighbors such as Syria, Iraq, Georgia and Iran,” Çağlayan said.
Çağlayan said claims about a “shift of axis” in foreign exports from western countries to the east is not based on facts, since Turkey has also increased its exports to Europe to 2.665 billion euros this year, compared to 2.249 billion euros in 2009.
“Turkey has an aim of reaching to $500 billion in exports by the year 2023. This aim will be achieved by trading not only with west but also with the east, in accordance with our ‘zero problem policy’ with neighbors such as Syria, Iraq, Georgia and Iran,” Çağlayan said.
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