The data provided by Intesa Sanpaolo Studies and Research Service on focus of December indicate how the largest amount of FDI in Türkiye is of European origin, with a percentage of the stock that in 2010 reached around 77%. Among the countries of origin, the Netherlands (21%), Germany (10%), the United Kingdom (8%) and Luxembourg (7%) stand out. Italy was only in 13th place with a small share of around 2,5%. However, it must be emphasized how Italy plays an important role in sectors of strategic importance, such as energy resources and finance, with a higher influence than the official data, since part of the investments of Italian companies are represented by foreign subsidiaries. It is therefore possible to note a clear prevalence of FDI in the manufacturing sector (with a share of 29% on the 2010 stock), especially in the financial sector (25%), transport (17%), telecommunications (12%), commerce (12% ) and energy sector of gas, electricity and water (7%).
As already seen in a previous article, in the last two years the country that has the largest number of companies is the Germany with around 4800 companies (equal to 16,3% of the total), followed by the United Kingdom (8%), Iran (7,3%), the Netherlands (6,7%), the USA (4,1%), Azerbaijan ( 3,6%), Italy (3,6%) and Iraq (3,1%). Most of the industrial settlements it is located near Istanbul (56,4% of the total) and Antalya (12%), while its presence is more limited in the territory of the capital, where only 6,6% of companies with foreign capital reside.
I main Italian industrial brands present in the Turkish territory are, as regards textiles, clothing and fashion, Benetton, Ermenegildo Zegna and Miroglio. For food, Barilla and Perfetti stand out; for energy ENEL and ENI; for vehicles and their components Alenia, Fiat, Iveco, Magneti Marelli, New Holland Italia, Piaggio, Pirelli. In construction and infrastructure Astaldi and Trevi; for Ariston, Bialetti, Foster and Indesit appliances and home accessories. In the iron and steel and cement sectors, Cementir, Finmeccanica, Teksid are mentioned; in CAI-Alitalia transport; in the pharmaceutical Menarini; in Omron electronics. Among the credit institutions, Banca Infrastrutture Innovazione e Sviluppo (BIIS), BNL and Unicredit, as well as Intesa Sanpaolo with its offices, while among the insurance companies, Generali stands out.
Turkey represents a important outlet market for Italian instrumental mechanics, able to integrate with the local industrial structure, this being characterized by low costs and high productivity. Italian companies then supply, through Vertical IDEs, equipment and machinery to leading sectors such as textiles and clothing, leather goods and footwear, the entire vehicle and automation sector, without forgetting the agri-food sector. The Turkish industrial structure is in fact similar to the Italian one, characterized both by large industrial groups and by a large number of districts and dynamic and flexible SMEs, capable of integrating and competing on foreign markets. The development of the infrastructure network, both in Turkey and in the vast border region between Europe and Asia, offers Italian companies interesting investment opportunities both directly and through joint ventures with Turkish counterparts. The collaboration between the two countries is therefore particularly advantageous and strategic in the tenders thanks to the integration between the low cost of Turkish labor on the one hand, Italian capital and technical skills on the other.
Trade with Italy has grown over the years, reaching a total of approximately 2011 billion euros in 15,6. After reaching an average annual growth rate of 2003% in the period 2008-12,5, reaching 13,1 billion euro, the outbreak of the financial crisis gave rise to a 23% reduction. However, as early as 2010, it was possible to note a lively recovery in trade, returning to previous levels. The data relating to the first eight months of this year show a substantial consolidation of trade on the levels reached in the same period of 2011, around 10,7 billion euro (+0,2%). In more detail, Italian imports decreased markedly (-18%), while exports continued to grow (+12%), to such an extent that the weight of trade with Turkey on the Italian trade balance rose from 1,7% in 2004 to around 2% in 2011. The trade balance is therefore clearly positive for Italy: last year the surplus with Turkey amounted to 3,7 billion euros, a figure already reached in the first eight months of 2012. Italian exports mainly concern machines and mechanical machinery, petroleum derivatives, vehicles, metals and metal products, chemicals. In particular, we note i petroleum derivatives refined, which went from just under 2006% to almost 2011% of the total in the five-year period 5-15. Followed by motor vehicles and their accessories, iron and cast iron in the first stages of processing, plastic materials in primary forms, machines for special use, for the textile and clothing industry, medicines and pharmaceutical preparations, pumps and compressors, fabrics. A growth that has overshadowed the other product sectors, whose production has undergone a marginal adjustment.
