Turkish contractors undertake $570B in overseas projects: Minister

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat said Friday that Turkish contractors have undertaken 12,900 projects worth $570 billion across 139 countries since the sector began overseas operations in 1972. He was speaking at the European International Contractors (EIC) General Assembly in Istanbul.

Global expansion and rankings

The sector initiated its international work in Libya more than 50 years ago, Bolat noted, adding that companies have since completed more than 3,100 technical consultancy projects worth $3.5 billion. He stated that $520 billion of the total project value was achieved within the past 23 years alone, underscoring the rapid acceleration of overseas activity.

The latest Engineering News-Record rankings for 2025 place 49 Turkish companies among the world's top 250 international contractors. This positions Türkiye second globally behind China, which has 71 firms on the list.

European market focus

Europe accounted for 40 percent of overseas contracts secured by Turkish contractors in 2025, Bolat said, citing active projects in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania. "As Turkish contracting companies, we are ready to work with you and enter into partnerships," he said, noting that the continent's growing need to renew social housing, infrastructure, transport networks and buildings offers significant opportunities for cooperation.

Investment appeal

Bolat invited European businesses to invest directly in Türkiye, noting that the country currently hosts 89,000 foreign-invested companies, 63 percent of them European. "If you are not in Türkiye, you are not too late. We invite you to Türkiye," he 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, Bolat added, stating that Türkiye aims to become a center for production, trade, logistics, investment and connectivity.