Logistics centre opened in Turkey by e-commerce giant Amazon

Amazon, the world-renowned e-commerce giant, has made its grand entry into the Turkish market with the official opening of its first logistics centre located in the Tuzla region, on the Asian side of Istanbul. The centre, which began operating in September 2023, has been established with a whopping investment of over $100 million (TL 2.75 billion), making it a significant milestone for Amazon in Turkey.

Attendance from high-level officials

The opening ceremony was attended by top-tier officials, including Mustafa Varank, Chairperson of the Industry, Trade, Energy, Natural Resources, Information, and Technology Committee of the Turkish Parliament, Zekeriya Çoştu, Deputy Minister of Industry and Technology, and Turkish Presidency Investment Office Head Burak Dağlıoğlu. The presence of Stefano Perego, Vice President of Amazon Operations in Europe and North America, Hakan Karadoğan, Amazon Operations Turkey General Manager, and Richard Marriott, Amazon Turkey Country Manager, added essence to the grandeur of the event.

Boosting the local economy with vital jobs

The centre has been instrumental in creating several new job opportunities within the region, providing a boost to the local economy. Additionally, the facility has also been a vital factor in enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Turkey to expand their businesses and cater to the increasing customer demand.

During his speech at the ceremony, Varank highlighted the significance of the e-commerce sector, which has been experiencing an unprecedented growth rate globally. He also emphasised that Turkey has a highly competitive climate in logistics services, indicating that the development of e-commerce will have a considerable impact on the country's economy, contributing to the growth of other sectors as well.

Significant milestone for Amazon

Varank revealed that currently, 600,000 companies in Turkey are practicing e-commerce, which is indicative of the vast potential that the sector holds in the country. Overall, the opening of the logistics centre is a significant milestone for Amazon in Turkey and is expected to usher in a new era of growth and development for the company in the region.

Varank said: “We are pleased with the interest global companies currently have in Türkiye. Many companies moved their operations and R&D centres to Türkiye, especially after the pandemic,” while also highlighting the readiness of Turkey to provide global companies support while operating in the country.

Expansions possible in the future

He continued to explain further that: “Those who have operations in Türkiye have expanded their operations. Because Türkiye continues to stand out as an important country for global brands, with its young and dynamic population at the point where the continents meet, and with its feature of being a logistics corridor, especially thanks to its recent investments in infrastructure.”

Daglıoğlu explained that the economy of Turkey is growing quickly and is transforming into becoming globalised with digitalisation. He went on to point out that the investment made by Amazon remains consistent with the strategy and aspirations of Turkey as a country.

Trade and export facilitation

Dağlıoğlu said: "But it has a more important dimension for us, the e-export it will mediate. We have many SMEs and micro exporters. They become exporters through all these digital marketplaces,” while discussing the critical role of Amazon’s investment in terms of the value, including the employment it therefore creates, the economic advantages and the supply chain it will further provide.

He noted: “This facility established by Amazon is one of the infrastructures that will facilitate trade and export. The economy is becoming digital, companies are becoming digital, but there is always a need for such physical infrastructures.”