Turkish contractors undertake $570B in overseas projects: Trade minister

Turkish contractors have undertaken 12,900 projects worth $570 billion across 139 countries, Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Friday, inviting European companies to expand their partnerships with Turkish firms.

Speaking at the European International Contractors (EIC) General Assembly in Istanbul, Bolat said the portfolio included completed and ongoing projects, with $520 billion of the total achieved over the past 23 years.

The sector began its overseas operations in Libya in 1972, he said, adding that Turkish companies have since completed more than 3,100 international technical consultancy projects worth $3.5 billion.

Bolat said 49 Turkish companies featured in Engineering News-Record’s 2025 ranking of the world’s top 250 international contractors, placing Türkiye second behind China, which had 71 firms.

Europe accounted for 40% of overseas contracts secured by Turkish contractors in 2025, he said, citing projects in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania.

He said the growing need to renew social housing, infrastructure, transport networks and buildings across Europe offered significant opportunities for cooperation.

“As Turkish contracting companies, we are ready to work with you and enter into partnerships,” Bolat said.

He also invited European businesses to invest in Türkiye, saying the country hosted 89,000 foreign-invested companies, 63% of them European.

“If you are not in Türkiye, you are not too late. We invite you to Türkiye,” he said.

Bolat said Türkiye has invested more than $300 billion in infrastructure over the past 23 years, expanding its ports, airports, roads, railways and logistics networks.

Amid regional wars, protectionism and supply chain disruptions, resilience has become as important as efficiency, he said.

Türkiye aims to become a center for production, trade, logistics, investment and connectivity, Bolat added.