Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is planning on setting up a logistics hub at Istanbul Airport and a data centre near the Ankara as part of a US$1 billion investment in the company’s activities in Turkey, reports claim.
In an interview published in Turkish pro-government newspaper Sabah on Sunday, Alibaba President Michael Evans is reported as saying: “We have a serious investment plan at Istanbul Airport. We can evaluate e-export plans from here to Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East. We plan an investment of more than US$1 billion.”
Turkey appears to be a key location for the company’s supply chain expansion going forward, with Evans quoted as saying that it will “carry Turkey’s production power and export potential to Europe and the Middle East”.
He also said: “We will continue to invest in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and tradesmen in Turkey.”
Alibaba is an investor in Trendyol, the biggest e-commerce company in Turkey.
