Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır said Türkiye’s share of global manufacturing value added had doubled over the past 20 years. Kacır made the remarks Thursday at the ACE BPSC 2026 conference in Istanbul.
Kacır said engagement with American companies was an important element of economic relations between Türkiye and the United States, adding that under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Donald Trump, the two countries had the political will to deepen their economic ties. He said the aim was to move toward a $100 billion bilateral trade target.
Kacır said the production infrastructure built over the past 20 years had enabled Türkiye to double its share of global manufacturing value added. He noted that annual goods exports had risen from $36 billion in 2002 to $283 billion, and highlighted Türkiye’s role in European value chains.
R&D and industrial transformation
Kacır said Türkiye has more than 13,000 companies operating across more than 1,700 R&D and design centers and 115 technology development zones. He added that the number of R&D employees had risen from 29,000 in the early 2000s to 311,000.
Referring to advances in the defense industry and the electric vehicle brand Togg, Kacır said Türkiye aimed to move higher up the global technology value chains.
Kacır said more than $1 billion in financing had been provided for industrial companies, small businesses and green technology ventures through cooperation with the World Bank. He added that work with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development had advanced efforts to access €5 billion for green transformation investments.
Data centers and space goals
Kacır announced that Türkiye aimed to increase its data center capacity to 1 gigawatt by 2030 and attract at least $10 billion in private-sector investment in artificial intelligence, cloud technologies and digital infrastructure.
Kacır said the assembly and integration of Türkiye’s lunar spacecraft had been completed, adding that its launch was planned for early 2027. He also said Türkiye had joined the Artemis Accords and was developing a spaceport in Somalia.
Call to US investors
Kacır said Türkiye aimed to increase its industrial land from 160,000 hectares to 350,000 hectares by 2030. He highlighted the Zangezur Corridor, the Development Road and the North Marmara Railway projects, which are intended to strengthen trade links.
Kacır called on US investors to participate in concrete projects in Türkiye. The minister said stronger investment flows, deeper technology cooperation and lasting commercial partnerships were needed.
