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Throughout history, Kocaeli has been a gateway connecting Europe with the Middle East and Asia.It was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Bithynia and a crucial trade centre for the Eastern Roman Empire. Today, along the commercially active Black Sea and the Marmara Sea shorelines, Kocaeli boasts 34 ports and industrial facility docks, making it a logistics heaven and a gateway to global markets. The province is a hub for both national and intercontinental routes. It is adjacent to Istanbul, one of the world’s largest metropolitan centres and close to two international airports; Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen(SAW) and Istanbul Ataturk(IST), 45 and 80 km. from the city centre respectively. Only 14 km. away is the Cengiz Topel airport serving purely domestic routes. Kocaeli is home to more than 1,600,000 people and is one of Turkey’s most densely populated cities. This is also the home port for the Turkish Navy, demonstrating the continuing historic and strategic importance of the province in military terms. PRODUCTION CENTER OF THE NATION’S INDUSTRY The defining characteristic of Kocaeli, however, is that it is a “City of Industry and Investment.” Almost without parallel globally, 13% of Kocaeli’s GDP is generated from its manufacturing industry. The province’s industry based economy accounts for 13% of Turkey’s Industrial Production.
Another meaningful indicator for the province is that out of Turkey’s 89 provinces, 13% of national tax revenues are collected from Kocaeli.
SELECTED ZONES WITH PREPARED INVESTMENT AREAS In Kocaeli there are 13 Organised Industrial Zones, 3 Technology Parks and 2 Free Trade Zones. These advantageous investment areas are neighbouring Turkey’s greatest internal market, Istanbul. They are widely considered as the most developed industrial areas closest to the EU, the Middle East and Caucasus. SELECTED ZONES WITH PREPARED INVESTMENT AREAS The 2 universities in Kocaeli with their 50 thousand students and Scientific Research Centres play an important role in order to meet the demand for human resources. Some 32.642 students from 46 technical vocational high schools in the province are trained to meet the demands of the industry’s intermediate personnel. DEVELOPED FACILITIES FOR INFRA-STRUCTURE AND ENVIRONMENT The existing infrastructure elements such as transport, water, electricity and natural gas combine to enhance Kocaeli’s investment potential. Turkey’s one and only hazardous-waste incineration plant is found in Kocaeli, a great advantage for an industry striving to achieve international environmental and product standards. In addition to this the efforts of the Chamber have led to the establishment of the Industrial Waste Market, enabling the re-utilization of industrial waste while making a contribution to the economy.
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