Skip to main content

IRF Regional Conference, Istanbul: Turkish economy surges ahead

IRF Regional Congress to be held against backdrop of ramped up highway investment Turkey has long enjoyed a privileged geographic position at the crossroads of Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Buoyed by a vibrant economy (4.5% average GDP growth between 2002 and 2012), Turkey has embarked on an unprecedented effort to develop and modernise its transport infrastructure by 2023, marking the centennial of the foundation of the modern Turkish Republic. This plan, which seeks to propel Turkey as
April 13, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
The Gebze-Orhangazi-İzmir highway is one the biggest build operate transfer projects in the world
IRF Regional Congress to be held against backdrop of ramped up highway investment

Turkey has long enjoyed a privileged geographic position at the crossroads of Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Buoyed by a vibrant economy (4.5% average GDP growth between 2002 and 2012), Turkey has embarked on an unprecedented effort to develop and modernise its transport infrastructure by 2023, marking the centennial of the foundation of the modern Turkish Republic.

This plan, which seeks to propel Turkey as the world’s 10th largest economy, sets an ambitious highway construction agenda with 36,000km of dual carriageway roads and another 7,800km of BOT motorways serving the needs of an estimated 378 billion passenger km. In parallel, a nationwide integrated traffic management & traveller information system relying on 17 regional centres and 7,500km of fibre optic cable is scheduled for completion by 2023.

1st IRF Europe & Central Asia Regional Congress

September 15–18, 2015
Grand Wyndham Hotel, Istanbul


Limited exhibition & sponsorship opportunities:

• Raise your profile and strengthen your brand awareness
• Position your brand as a market leader in a dynamic region
• Differentiate your brand from competitors
• Maximise exposure of your brand to the media and visitors
• Generate leads with exclusive access to a targeted audience
• Present your innovations at Applied Knowledge sessions
• Make your mark at a milestone event
with influential professionals from all road industry disciplines
Early results, as measured by the 3019 World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index, are encouraging. In 2014, the country as a whole ranked 33rd for the quality of its overall infrastructure. Highway infrastructure investments as a percentage of GDP increased from 0.4% to 1.2% in 2012. This in turn has translated into significant new markets for road equipment: Turkey’s current needs are estimated at 2,000 km of safety barrier and 142,000m2 of vertical signing every year for its national highway network alone.

Some of Turkey’s anchor investment projects are also setting new standards such as the Mount Ovit Tunnel (14,700m) set to be the longest in Europe, or the 384km Gebze-Orhangazi-zmir highway, one the biggest build operate pransfer projects in the world (pictured), valued at US$6.3 billion. Once completed, travel time from Istanbul to zmir will be cut by half to just 4 hours.

With a strong economic outlook and a long-term vision for the sector, Turkey has become an extremely promising market for investors and suppliers. Efforts underway to modernise the country’s legislative framework for PPPs will further strengthen the attractiveness of Turkey’s active portfolio of investment operations.


Organised by 3918 IRF Washington.



For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Beijing's record-breaking BICES 2011
    February 15, 2012
    BICES 2011 equipment exhibition attracted unprecedented levels of visitors, according to the organisers. With China's construction market booming and the world's largest infrastructure investment programme in full swing, the country is seeing a huge growth in demand for new machines. Manufacturers from inside the country as well as international firms are keen to boost sales in the country and develop market shares. As a result, promotion is a key issue and all manufacturers, Chinese and international, are
  • CECE conference planned for Prague
    May 23, 2016
    Europe’s construction equipment manufacturing association, CECE, plans to hold its annual congress in Czech capital Prague. CECE is working jointly with SVSS, the Czech construction equipment industry association, to organise the 2016 edition of the CECE Congress. Called, An Industry in Transformation; Drivers of Success, the congress will be held in Prague from the 5th to 7th October 2016. Key benefits for attendees will be understanding how colliding trends could affect business, preparing for times of
  • Market confidence remains strong in the build-up to bauma China 2012
    May 18, 2012
    Despite a slight slow-down in the pace of economic growth in China, market confidence remains strong in the country. The organisers of the upcoming bauma China event, from November 27 to 30 2012, say that China is still a key market for the global construction sector. Supported by a booming domestic market, the Chinese construction machinery manufacturers are also making ground on the international front. The exhibition is an international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, c
  • Turkish manufacturers key to aggregates equipment
    February 13, 2012
    Turkish manufacturers are important trading partners in the worldwide aggregate production sector, Mike Woof reports