Chinese carmaker BYD to begin production in Türkiye in 2026, says minister

Chinese electric vehicle firm BYD will begin production in Türkiye in 2026, the Turkish industry and technology minister said Tuesday.

“BYD will begin production in 2026, and the agreements have been signed. The allocation process for the site at Manisa Organized Industrial Zone (OSB) has been completed. Permit applications for the factory's construction have been submitted,” Mehmet Fatih Kacir said during a visit to the Editor's Desk at Anadolu headquarters in Ankara.

In July, China's BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle producer, signed an agreement with the Turkish Industry and Technology Ministry to set up a factory and make R&D investments in Türkiye worth $1 billion.

The firm's production and R&D plants are expected to create 5,000 jobs in the country and produce around 150,000 units of vehicles annually.

On the broader automotive landscape, Kacir said Türkiye is also in close dialogue with Chinese automaker Chery on the automobile investment and reached the final stages of the process.

He further said that they will continue to share Türkiye's potential with other brands.

- Türkiye's infrastructure for electric vehicles sufficiently developed

Turning to Türkiye's domestic electric vehicle production, the minister said Turkish electric car producer Togg has already produced 37,000 vehicles in 16 months.

"Togg produced 37,000 vehicles in 16 months, reaching in one year the production volume that the world's most valuable electric vehicle brand achieved in its 6th year,” he said.

“Fast-charging units have been installed in all 81 provinces. Türkiye is in a leading position in Europe in terms of the number of charging units per electric vehicle,” he added.

Emphasizing that Türkiye's infrastructure for electric vehicles is sufficiently developed, he said the infrastructure will continue to develop as usage increases.

Kacir also mentioned a plan for a first public flight demonstration of Türkiye's Bayraktar TB3 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the ANKA-3 unmanned combat aircraft at the upcoming TEKNOFEST, Türkiye's largest aerospace and technology festival, in southern Adana province.

On the international front, Kacir underlined Türkiye's plans to contribute to the renewal of the International Space Station, aiming to integrate the country's industrial ecosystem into the global space industry.

- Israeli attacks

On Israel's recent attacks, Kacir said these attacks are an example that technology not rooted in ethical and moral values can only bring “disaster for humanity.”

Kacir drew attention to the fact that Israel can brutally use its technological advantages to occupy the territories of other countries and kill innocent people without any regard for rights or law.

He underlined that the attack on pagers in Lebanon shows how unexpected technological products can be weaponized, highlighting that cybersecurity vulnerabilities and insecure supply chains can expose countries to unforeseen threats.

Last month, thousands of communication devices or pagers exploded in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon, killing 37 people, two children, and injuring nearly 3,000.

On Türkiye's cybersecurity efforts, Kacir announced that one of the first tasks on the parliamentary agenda in the upcoming terms will be legislative work concerning a Cybersecurity Directorate, thus establishing a new authority.

“We are increasing measures to meet the cybersecurity needs of industrial products,” Kacir also said. “New steps will be taken to control and oversee devices.”