Türkiye’s tech surge, stability win over investors, says investment office head

LONDON

Türkiye is emerging as a standout destination for foreign investors despite global geopolitical and trade challenges, according to Ahmet Burak Daglioglu, who heads the Investment Office of the Republic of Türkiye Presidency.

On the sidelines of the UK-Türkiye-Islamic Finance Forum, which was hosted by UK Department for Business and Trade in cooperation with Participation Banks Associations of Türkiye, Daglioglu told Anadolu about Türkiye’s growing reputation as a stable and solution-oriented player in a volatile region.

“Investors highlight that Türkiye is a stable country in the region and, despite the surrounding instability, offers a peaceful solution within its region. This makes Türkiye positively differentiated,” he said.

Organized by the Participation Banks Association of Türkiye and UK Export Finance, the summit aims to enhance international cooperation in Islamic finance.

He underlined the importance of such collaborations, pointing to Türkiye’s robust participation finance sector.

“Türkiye already has a substantial participation finance sector, significantly above the global average,” he noted.

“We hope such collaborations will eventually turn into investments in the medium and long term.”

Daglioglu also highlighted the strategic role of the Istanbul Financial Center (IFC) in positioning Türkiye as a global hub for Islamic finance.

Tech investment momentum

Türkiye’s early-stage technology investments have surpassed $1 billion annually post-pandemic, a sharp rise from the $100 million average before 2020.

“In the last four years, around $5 billion has been invested in this field,” he said, adding that international brands are now entering the Turkish market for the first time.

He noted active funding rounds in the fintech, deep tech, biotech, and life sciences sectors, which are playing a vital role in current foreign direct investment (FDI) figures.

He also addressed global trade tensions, particularly the impact of US tariffs.

“They view Türkiye as a stable country in its region – one offering peaceful solutions to instability,” he said, referring to investor sentiment. “Türkiye's trade policy position is also seen positively ... the 10% lower tariff limit applied to Türkiye is seen as a favorable indication.”

Despite a global slowdown in foreign investment, Türkiye’s annualized FDI over the past year has surpassed $12 billion.

“If we see international direct investment reach the $13-14 billion range by the end of the year, it wouldn't be surprising – we are expecting it,” he said.

He added that continued project activity and investor confidence signal a strong year ahead, barring major global disruptions.