MINISTER BOLAT: “OUR 200 INVESTORS IN MOROCCO CONTRIBUTE AROUND 1 B...

Organized by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye (DEİK) and the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), the Türkiye–Morocco Business and Investment Forum was held in Istanbul on 28 November 2025, with the participation of Türkiye's Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, Morocco's Secretary of State in charge of Foreign Trade Omar Hejira, Morocco's Ambassador to Ankara Mohammed Ali Lazreq, DEİK President Nail Olpak, Vice President of the Investment Office of the Presidency of Türkiye Furkan Karayaka, CGEM President Chakib Alj, CEO of the Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency Ali Seddiki, CGEM/Morocco-Türkiye Business Council President Najib Chraibi, DEİK/Türkiye–Morocco Business Council President Zeynep Bodur Okyay, and nearly 400 businesspeople.

Speaking at the Forum, Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat emphasized that Morocco's exports to Türkiye have increased ninefold and Türkiye's exports to Morocco eightfold over the last 18 years during which the Türkiye-Morocco Free Trade Agreement has been in force. He stated that as of 2024, the bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached 5 billion dollars, adding:

"We want this trade to continue in a balanced, win-win manner."

Highlighting the importance of investment alongside trade, Bolat said: "There is no need to shy away from investment; as investments grow, foreign trade also accelerates. Around 200 Turkish investors in Morocco contribute nearly 1 billion dollars to the economy. This meeting is an important gathering for Turkish and Moroccan businesspeople to conduct investment and trade discussions."

Bolat also noted that representatives from the automotive, textile, and contracting sectors were present, adding: "Our contractors, who have successfully completed projects worth 100 billion dollars across Africa, have implemented 113 construction projects worth 4.2 billion dollars in Morocco. They are ready to cooperate on investments needed for the World Cup preparations, such as stadium construction and modernization, hotel construction, rail and road projects, and airport capacity expansion. We believe today's talks will lead to positive and concrete results for businesspeople of both countries. In about a month and a half, during our visit to Morocco with public and private sector representatives, we will sign agreements related to the issues discussed so far."

Hejira: "The Governments of Morocco and Türkiye Share a Common Will"

Morocco's Secretary of State responsible for Foreign Trade, Omar Hejira, stated that there has been intensive exchange of visits and meetings between the two countries. He emphasized that these discussions resulted in practical recommendations aimed at increasing bilateral trade, ensuring balance, and deepening economic cooperation based on the win-win principle.

Hejira underlined that joint initiatives focused on supporting co-industrial production projects and achieving better trade balance that would positively contribute to both economies. He added that the organization of the Türkiye–Morocco Business and Investment Forum is "the fruit of all these efforts."

Drawing attention to the opportunities provided by Morocco co-hosting the World Cup, Hejira stated:

"This will be extremely important for Morocco, not only in terms of sports but from all perspectives. The governments of Morocco and Türkiye have a common will. We have the determination and strength to realize it. Today's business forum is a real opportunity to strengthen business and economic cooperation."

Lazreq: "There Will Be Major Developments and Significant Investment Opportunities Due to the World Cup"

Morocco's Ambassador to Ankara, Mohammed Ali Lazreq, emphasized the deep historical ties between the two countries. He highlighted Morocco's recent major advancements in infrastructure, stating: "We currently have Africa's largest ports, as well as numerous railways and highways." Speaking about the investment opportunities linked to the World Cup, Lazreq said:

"We expect Turkish real estate companies and investors to come to Morocco and explore these opportunities. There will be significant developments due to the World Cup, creating a major investment window."

He also pointed out that Türkiye's investments in Morocco over the last decade did not exceed 300 million dollars, placing Türkiye 17th among foreign investors in Morocco, and remarked that this ranking shows the Turkish private sector must demonstrate "a stronger and more effective will" to fully seize Morocco's promising investment environment.

Olpak: "We View Morocco as a Broad Market Within Africa and Global Agreements"

DEİK President Nail Olpak said: "Today, we are here to work and win together. DEİK operates with the motto of business diplomacy and has been working voluntarily without using public resources for 40 years. Our Türkiye–Morocco Business Council has been active since 1990. I thank both parties for their cooperation." Olpak underlined the 5-billion-dollar bilateral trade volume and added that Turkish companies and their Moroccan partners have already completed infrastructure projects exceeding 4 billion dollars. He stressed that Türkiye sees Morocco not merely as a single-country market, but as a gateway to Africa and wider international markets due to its agreements. Olpak said: "In bilateral trade, balance is of course desirable; however, if there is any imbalance, we must analyze whether it stems from consumer goods or intermediate goods that support Morocco's growing industries. A significant portion of Morocco's imports from Türkiye consists of intermediate goods used in its own production." He also invited the Moroccan business community to benefit from investment opportunities in Türkiye.

Bodur Okyay: "We Can Build a New Türkiye–Morocco Economic Axis"

DEİK/Türkiye–Morocco Business Council Chairperson Zeynep Bodur Okyay emphasized that the historical friendship between Türkiye and Morocco has evolved into a responsibility to jointly shape the future: "We believe we are in the right place at the right time. This forum offers an opportunity to move from a model based solely on procurement and traditional cooperation toward a model where we jointly create value chains, produce together, and develop technology."

She added that if the period is utilized effectively, both countries can jointly develop technology in strategic sectors and cooperate in automotive, textiles, machinery, logistics, and agricultural modernization, gaining access to African and European markets together.

Alj: "Together We Can Build Value Chains That Serve Europe, Africa, and Beyond"

CGEM President Chakib Alj stated that while the Türkiye–Morocco partnership is not new, it is transforming. "Those who look at the numbers see progress; those who look at the potential realize we are only at the beginning," he said. Alj emphasized the complementary strengths of the two countries:

"Türkiye offers scale, technology, and expertise. Morocco offers agility, talent, and market access. Together, we can build value chains that serve Europe, Africa, and beyond."

Following investment opportunity presentations from both Türkiye and Morocco, the Forum continued with panels on the textile and automotive sectors, as well as success story sessions.

The sponsors of the Türkiye–Morocco Business and Investment Forum were Kale Group and ORAU.