China’s Dongfeng Motor is in talks with an investor about producing passenger cars in Turkey, reports Reuters, citing the company’s Turkish distributor.
Turkey, with annual sales of 1.4 million vehicles, is a relatively large market and has custom free trade with the EU. Car imports to Turkey from China are subject to extra taxes and Chinese car manufacturers including Chery have been seeking to set up production with local partners.
“We are working hard to begin production this year,” Yavuz Cirak, CEO of Dongfeng’s local distributor Marcar and a party to the talks, said in a statement published on LinkedIn. The investor has secured a production facility, though a final decision for investment is not guaranteed and talks are ongoing. Marcar would oversee local sales and provide support for the cars, the statement said.