In 2015, Turkish automotive industry broke record in both production and exports, according
to the statement posted by Automotive Manufacturing Association (OSD)
Commenting his point of views relating to the year 2015, Kudret Onen, Chairman of the Board of OSD, said: “Our industry, which has been continuing investments in capacity utilization and new products in recent years, has set a historical record by acquiring a very big growth in the production. Shipping abroad 73 out of 100 vehicles manufactured, the industry has also set export record in 2015. The growth in the EU markets has contributed positively to the production and export figures of our industry. Our exports have increased 12 percent on the basis of unit and as constricted 5 percent as value with regard to Euro-Dollar parity, on the basis of euro the exports increased 14 percent. Comprising 15 percent of the overall exports of Turkey, the automotive industry kept its top level range in the sector ranking.” Sustaining its works so as to secure more value-added to the development of Turkish automotive industry and also to support the country economy more, the Turkish automotive Manufacturer Association announced the data about 2015. According to this, the total production raised 16 percent to 1 million 359 thousand units over the previous year. The sector’s unit-base exports increased 12 percent totaling 992 thousand units.
Production and exports will rise more in 2016
Sharing his expectations about the year 2016, Onen said, “Our industry continues to investments in capacity utilization and new projects in the same speed. Together with these investments enter into force, the capacity utilization has raised from 1,5 million to 1,7 million units within last 5 years. With continuing and/or being commissioned of the new investments, we predict exports would increase more in 2016. Continuity of stability in the domestic market, sustainability of our country’s competitiveness for the new projects and so continuity of new investments to allow our country pose an important opportunity situation for our sector.” Pointing out the investments would also continue in 2016, Onen, “We guess our industry capacity utilization would rise from 1,7 million to 1,9 million units. With the commissioning of the new projects and continued investments, we foresee
production and exports would achieve a sustainable growth. The new projects which supported via incentives
of the government will provide increase especially in exportbased production in 2016. Of course, these expectations are subjected to a stabile domestic market and to a process with which purchasing decisions would not be affected in economy.” Onen also highlighted the automotive industry has owned a strategical importance for the country. He continued, “Having transformed to an automotive base with which the new project products developed for the global automotive brands with great contribution of the government’s R & D incentives, our country ranks atop in commercial vehicle production, as for automobile production ranking 7th in the European Union countries. As for the worldwide, our country has raised by 16th from 17th line in the automotive production according to the data in first 9 months of 2015. We predict this position will strengthen more with the projects that entered into force and will enter.” Turkish automotive industry ranks 3rd in R & D expenditures Sustaining its locomotive position in the exports achieving 15 percent of the total exports of Turkey, the automotive industry maintains its feature to be an automotive base for the global brands along with continuity of R & D incentives. Turkish automotive sector ranked 3rd with 18.9 percent following 31.7 percent in Germany and 19.8 percent in Japan in R & D expenditures by the countries.