ANKARA, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese automaker BYD has signed agreements to begin production in Türkiye by 2026, Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said Tuesday.

 

The Turkish government has been allocated space for BYD in the Manisa industrial zone in western Türkiye, where the company will establish a research and development center, a factory capable of producing 150,000 vehicles annually, and a supplier park, the minister told the semi-official Anadolu Agency.

 

"This investment will be a major step forward for Türkiye in the high-tech sector," he said, adding that it is valuable to realize all this investment by targeting export markets.

 

"The Manisa facility will also bring significant employment opportunities, directly creating nearly 5,000 jobs and indirectly generating over 20,000 positions, particularly for skilled engineers and researchers," he said.

 

Kacir also announced that discussions with China's automobile manufacturer Chery were in the final stage.

 

"We are working hard, and we are very close to finalizing the Chery investment as well," he said, recalling ongoing discussions since the end of last year.

 

He expressed optimism about the future of Türkiye's electric vehicle and battery production sectors, noting that there were currently 23,400 public charging stations in the country, with 8,850 of them being fast chargers.