Discussion 5-1

  
Economic Data: 
  
Interest Rates 

7.5%
 
Unemployment (Central   Intelligence Agency, 2015) 

9.4% (2014)
 
Inflation (Central   Intelligence Agency, 2015) 

8.9% (2014)
 
GDP real growth rate (Central Intelligence Agency, 2015) 

2.9% (2014)
 
Exchange Rates (Central Intelligence Agency, 2015) 

1 Turkish lira = $ .37 USD
 
Exchange Rate Regime (International Trade Centre, 2015)  

Floating
 
GDP (Central Intelligence Agency, 2015) 

813.3-billion (2014)
 
Labor Force (Central Intelligence Agency, 2015) 

27.56-million
 
Major Industries (Central Intelligence Agency, 2015) 

Textiles, food processing, automobiles, electronics, mining, steel,   petroleum, construction, lumber, paper
 
FDI Rates (International Trade Centre, 2015) 

10,002.0-million (Inflow as of 2012)
Physical Infrastructure: 
  
Major Airports/Seaports

Seaports with container liner   service (World Port Source, 2015): Akdeniz, Ambarli, Derince, Gemlik,   Haydarpasa, Istanbul, Izmir, Mersin 
Airports (World Aero Data, 2015): Adnan Menderes, Akinci, Ataturk,   Dalaman, EFES, ERHAC, Erkilet, Esenboga, Guvercinlink
 
Railway Stations (Government websites)

Illustration below 
 
Internet Users (Central Intelligence Agency, 2015)

27.233-million (2009)
 
Mobile Providers (txtNation, 2015)

Turkcell, Vodafone Turkey, Avea 
 
Logistics Performance Index Rating (The World Bank, 2015) 

30
Business Observations: 
· Shipping and distribution should be made easy with the access to numerous port cities, airports, and railways states. 
· The LPI rating for Turkey is slightly less than that in the United States and Germany, indicating some question of reliability, but nothing of major concern. While infrastructure and customs performed lower, shipments were very reliable. The infrastructure and logistics support frequent shipments and trade (The World Bank, 2015) 
· Foreign investment into Turkey is strong, but unemployment and inflation rates are high compared to the United States. The exchange rate is appealing if looking to import from Turkey. 
· The exchange rate regime in Turkey has changed several times in recent years. The current regime is more liberal in nature (Yased, 2015). The exchange rate in Turkey is still monitored and intervention is applied if necessary. 
· If a dip in the value of the lira occurs compared to the U.S. dollar, demand for U.S. imports will decrease. In the same scenario, a dip in the value of the lira compared to the U.S. dollar, demand for Turkish exports will increase. 
· Based on the existing industries, clothing manufacturing might be a possible investment area due to the strength of textile manufacturing. There would also be easy access to Europe and parts of Asia. 
References 
Central Intelligence Agency. (2015). The world factbook: Turkey. Retrieved from 
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tu.html 
International Trade Centre. (2015). Investment map. Retrieved from 
http://www.investmentmap.org/prioritySector.aspx?selCtry=TUR&selInds=&selOpt=inward&selYear 
Seat61.com. (2015). A beginner’s guide to train travel in Turkey. Retrieved from 
http://www.seat61.com/Turkey2.htm#.VZMBdvlVhBc 
The World Bank. (2015). Logistics performance index: Global rankings 2014. Retrieved from 
http://lpi.worldbank.org/international/global 
txtNation. (2015). All countries – List of mobile operators by country (slow loading). Retrieved from 
https://clients.txtnation.com/entries/301118-All-Countries-List-Of-Mobile-Operators-By-Country-slow-loading 
World Aero Data. (2015). Airports in Turkey. Retrieved from http://www.worldaerodata.com/countries/Turkey.php 
World Port Source. (2015). Turkey: Port index. Retrieved from http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/index/TUR.php 
Yased. (2015). Exchange rate regime. Retrieved from 
http://www.yased.org.tr/webportal/English/yoic/Business/Pages/ExchangeRateRegime.aspx