China's fourth largest automaker, Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., will start construction of an automotive factory in Turkey by the end of this year, Sedat Piroğlu, an official at the Mermerler Group, Chery's Turkey distribution partner, said on Sunday.
Attending the Çukurova Autoshow 2009 in Adana, Piroğlu noted that Mermerler has seen increasing sales figures despite entering the market in mid-2008, during the height of the global financial crisis.
Piroğlu said that China's success in the automobile industry cannot be underestimated, pointing out that spare parts for 22 leading automotive companies, including BMW and Mercedes, are produced in this country and that China has manufactured automobiles for 20 years.
The demand for Chery automobiles in Turkey has been increasing, he said, noting that so far annual sales figures have reached 5,000 in Turkey.
Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., is expected to acquire land to build an automotive factory in Turkey by the end of this year, Piroğlu said, adding that work is under way to decide on a location for the factory. Under the company's plan the factory is expected to begin operations in two to two-and-a-half years.
He asserted that by building a plant in Turkey, Chery would reach not only the Turkish market but also European markets, and added that the vehicles produced in this factory would conform to European Union production standards.
Chery is to invest $550 million in the plant, which will have a production capacity of at least 100,000 vehicles yearly and will provide employment for 5,000 to 6,000 people, he said.
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