While the Aegean Free Zone and Izmir Free Zone have continued to grow with new investments, major steps were taken for the establishment of two new free zones in Bergama and Aliağa. ESBAŞ is getting ready for the Western Anatolian Free Zone in the Bergama region. An investor works towards establishing a Free Zone in Aliağa which will serve the renewable energy sector. The new free zones planned to be established will also contribute to Izmir becoming a financial center.

By the end of 2017, there were 18 Free Zones in Turkey and the total trade volume in Aegean Free Zone and Izmir Free Zone has reached 20 billion USD.  The Aegean Free Zone (ESB) achieved a significant success with 100% occupancy rate and the Izmir Free Zone has thrived with new investments in the last three years.

Izmir, being referred to as “the city of free zones”, receives the highest number of white-collar migration in the last three years in Turkey. İstanbul has hit a blockage and Turkey is in need of an alternative financial center. Free Zones are the most prominent factors that will contribute to this goal.

The number of technology development zones will be increased to five in five years. The increasing number of R&D centers and design centers also indicate that Izmir is the right location.

The Istanbul-Izmir highway also affects the surrounding cities besides Izmir. Studies continue for the establishment of free zones in Aydın and Kütahya.

Free zones provide many advantages especially for companies conducting production. These advantages are expected to increase the interest of investors in Izmir in the upcoming periods.

Izmir Free Zone has increased trade volume by 50 percent

Izmir Free Zone has begun to reap the fruits of the investments it has attracted in the recent period. The zone has recorded a nearly 50 percent increase in trade volume this year and the trade volume is expected to reach 300 million dollars by the end of the year. The figure is expected to increase by 33% to 400 million dollars next year.

2400 people work in Izmir Free Zone which hosts 142 domestic and 14 foreign capital companies  in addition to 12 domestic and foreign partnerships. Export value of products in the free zone has gone up to 5.62 USD per kilogram.

Aegean Free Zone provides 29 percent of the employment within free zones

One of the largest free zones in Turkey, the Aegean Free Zone will complete the year with a 5% growth. The total trade volume in 2016 was $4 billion 47 million and it has reached $3 billion 529 million in the first 10 months of 2017.  19.640 employees work in Aegean Free Zone which provides 29 percent of employment growth among  the Free Zones in Turkey.

In Aegean Free Zone, the rate of exports meeting imports has reached 165% and the export value per kilogram is $8.53. There are 175 companies, 81 percent of which are foreign-capital companies. 11 percent of the export in the Aegean Region is executed by the Aegean Free Zone.

Aegean Free Zone has signed a contract with the Ministry of Economy for an expansion area of 300.000 square meters, and the Zone is especially in demand of software companies working mainly in the field of technology development.