Istanbul, Aug. 14, 2025 — The Bosphorus was calm this morning, ferries sliding between continents, but in the glass towers of the city’s finance district, the talk was anything but quiet. Türkiye’s central bank confirmed a 27 % jump in foreign direct investment for the first half of the year — nearly $6.3 billion flowing into projects from logistics parks to manufacturing hubs.
In a small café near Levent, a logistics consultant flipped through the report on his tablet. “Ports are expanding, free zones are busier, rail upgrades are back on schedule,” he said. “Investors see we’re still the bridge — that hasn’t changed.”
Much of the new capital is coming from Europe and the Gulf, with contracts focused on transport corridors that feed both east and west. Projects in Izmir, Mersin, and Gebze are moving faster than expected, helped by government incentives and a push to diversify supply chains away from congested EU entry points.
But the optimism carries a note of caution. Currency volatility remains a shadow over long-term planning, and energy costs are still high. Even so, for the moment, cranes keep rising over the industrial zones, and the hum of construction blends into the summer heat.
