Investments for Higher Environmental Standards in Turkey

In February 2017, the international trade fair Ifat Eurasia will take place in the the Turkish commercial capital Istanbul.

Istanbul/Turkey — The host country offers extensive market opportunities: According to Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), to meet European standards in the areas of drinking water, wastewater and waste, Turkey will have to invest well in excess of € 23 billion by 2023. In general, the Turkish government is aiming at 2023 for many of its recently announced environmental targets to coincide with the centenary of the Republic of Turkey. For example, the current wastewater treatment plan envisages building more than 1,400 new sewage treatment plants and 30,000 km of pipeline by the centenary. According to GTAI, this will require investments of around 63 billion Turkish lira (approximately € 18.4 billion).

Environmental awareness among the Turkish population is growing. This has also encouraged politicians to look for modern waste management solutions. Among other things, this has been expressed in the comprehensive regulation for the management of waste and wastewater, which the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning enacted last year. According to observations by GTAI analysts, several cities, regional administrative bodies as well as public and private companies in Turkey are currently investing in waste treatment. Many of these projects were co-funded by international institutions. However, in parallel to these measures, the challenges are also growing. For example, changing consumer habits in Turkey are responsible for a dramatic increase in packaging waste. At present, this already accounts for half of the volume of solid household waste.

From February 16 to 18, 2017, Ifat Eurasia will bring together all the market players in the areas of water, wastewater, waste, and recycling at the Istanbul Expo Center (IFM). The trade fair will also be accompanied by a supporting program. Top experts from industry and research will share their knowledge with the expert audience in a variety of conference presentations, round table discussions, and workshops.