What seperates ESBAŞ from other free zones in the Mediterranean?
   The Aegean Free Zone has a prime business location: the crossroads of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Nestled into the outskirts of the city of Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city and the largest exporting seaport, ESBAŞ offers state-of-the-art infrastructure, attractive financial incentives and an exceptional quality of life for western executives and their families.
   It is impossible to overstate ESBAŞ's desirability as a logistics hub. With its strategic position and easy access to Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Turkey has long attracted U.S. and European businesses eager to establish a foothold in these regions.
   Companies operating in ESBAŞ enjoy substantial tax advantages and financial incentives. Manufacturing companies are exempt from corporate tax; earnings and revenues can be freely transferred; there is no VAT on Turkish goods and services for ESBAŞ companies; there are no duties or tariffs for goods imported into ESBAŞ from abroad; imports can remain in ESBAŞ without time limitations; direct sales are allowed to Turkey; there are no limits on the proportion of capital participation in the zone by foreign companies.
   Buildings for lease in the Zone are provided on a turnkey basis, satisfying the most demanding tenant requirements from height, floor capacity and lighting to heating and ventilation. ESBAŞ has long stressed industrial security, adding to the comfort and peace-of-mind for those living and working in the zone. ESBAŞ is a secure, fenced-in development, staffed by its own industrial security of 40 uniformed officers who patrol the zone, 24/7. The zone also has customs and police services at the entry gates and its own fire department.

• ESBAŞ offers basic facilities such as water, electricity, telephone, waste water collection and disposal, food services, loading and unloading, procurement of manpower or equipment, trash collection, construction and maintenance services.
• The ESBAŞ Technology Center's 250-seat conference room offers simultaneous translation, multi-media and teleconferencing capabilities. The center also provides seminar rooms and features a product showroom of goods manufactured in the zone.
• The ESBAŞ Concert & Sports facilities offer both indoor and outdoor venues. Activities include musical events as well as volleyball and basketball competitions between company teams.
• The Child Care Center has 16 classrooms for as many as 150 children from 45 days to six years old. The center has a well qualified permanent staff of professionals. A music room, a library, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, and an amphitheater make the center a complete facility.
• The Medical/Dental Clinic, staffed by four physicians including an internist and an emergency-room specialist, a dentist and three nurses is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The ESBAŞSfood services includes a state of the art industrial kitchen capable to serve 15,000 meals 24/7, two cafeterias, each serving 200-300 persons at noon, a modern restaurant with 200 seats, and a member of food kiosks spread-out throughout the zone.
• The Antique Car Museum, a pleasant diversion for visitors and busy executives, has 18 rare, mint-condition automobiles, including a 1928 Ford Model A Coupe, a 1937 Packard Sedan and a 1940 Cadillac La Salle.
• The ESBAŞ Sculpture Garden features sculptures made of scrap metal pieces from various manufacturing companies in the Zone.
• Space Camp Turkey, a facility of some 90,000 sq. ft. (8,000 sq. m.) where young people from many nations come together, offers programs that combine science education, fun, and friendship. Some 64,000 youth visited the camp since its opening in year 2000, with over 6000 of them benefiting from its 6 day programs.

What kind of growth do you expect for ESBAŞSin the next 10 years?
   The Aegean Free Zone-Turkey's first production-based free zone-hopes to be operating at full capacity by the year 2012 with 35,000 employees working in some 500 industrial companies that either use or produce advanced technology. The target is an annual trade volume of 5 billion US dollars.
   Electronics, automotive parts, machinery, textiles/garments, food packaging, IT, and aviation are our main target sectors. Until now we have been able to attract internationally known companies. Some of these firms - all in the manufacturing sector - are: Eldor Electronics (Italy), Delphi Packard and Delphi Diesel (U.S.A.), McCormick (UK), Hugo Boss (Germany), PFW (Germany) and Lisi (France).

How will the evolving political climate in Turkey affect Western investment?
   Already the foremost free zone in Turkey, ESBAŞ's aim is to become one of the best technoparks in the world attracting companies from the USA to China. To achieve this effective incentives for investment have to be put in place, or to be re-established. Both middle-eastern countries and European countries provide interesting financial incentives to attract foreign direct investment Turkey has to become a strong player for attracting FDI. If this does not happen, we at ESBAŞ will have difficulty fulfilling our goals.
   Economic and political, and, if I might add bureaucratic stability, are the key elements in attracting FDI to any country. We hope Turkey will succeed in there.

China has selected ESBAŞSas one of the investment centers in the world.
Could you please explain?
   Chinese government has recently selected ESBA Industrial Park as one of the "Top 40 Free Trade Zones" in the world to be invested by Chinese Enterprises. ESBAŞSwill receive its award in "1st International CEO Roundtable of Chinese and Foreign Multinational Corporations" which will be held in Beijing on November 16-18, 2007.
   ESBAŞShas conducted an intensive marketing and business development program in China in the recent years. ESBAŞ liaison office has been operating in Beijing since 2004. We are sister zones with Shangai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone and Tianjin Airport Industrial Park.
   We believe that being selected as one of the Top 40 Free Trade Zones to be invested by Chinese enterprises and ESBAŞ' ongoing marketing programs in China will attract Chinese companies to the ESBAŞ Industrial Park soon.