The number of foreign companies established in Turkey surpassed 2,500 in the first 10 months of this year, while in October alone more than 150 foreign companies were started up.

According to figures from the Undersecretariat of the Treasury, between January and October of this year, 2,503 new foreign companies were established in Turkey, compared with 2,426 in the same period of the previous year. Of the newly established foreign companies, 808, or 32.3 percent of the total, are operating in the retail sector, while 391 are in the real estate sector. This is followed by companies operating in the manufacturing (325 companies), transportation and communication (260) and construction (245) sectors. When looking at the countries of origin of these foreign companies, the Treasury data show that companies in the Euro Zone expressed the greatest interest in conducting business in Turkey.

There are over 26,000 foreign companies operating in the country - 20,639 newly established, 4,873 joint ventures with Turkish companies and 663 representative offices.