'Turkey should push infrastructure for economic growth'

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA

For an economic boost, Turkey should improve its infrastructure in such areas as transportation, public services, and telecommunications, according to a top executive of Chinese telecommunication giant ZTE.

Turkey’s dynamic structure, young population, and well-educated workforce make the country a potential base for investment, Li Ming, ZTE’s Central and Eastern Europe executive president, told Anadolu Agency.

Li said Turkey is an economic hub of the Middle East and Eastern European region thanks to its status as a bridge between the East and West.

He added that the country's young population makes it attractive for the information and communication technologies industry as well as telecommunications.

Telling how ZTE invested more than $100 million in Turkish systems integration provider Netas last year, Li said:

"This shows our pretty strong belief, confidence, and firm idea to invest in Turkey in the long term, empowering the local company with our technology and sales capability to serve this market in the long term."

10 years in Turkey

Netas is a major manufacturer and supplier of telecommunications equipment and systems integration services to enterprises and telecommunications network operators in Turkey and the Mideast.

Established in 1980, ZTE has operated in Turkey for more than 10 years, said Li.

The company has nearly 80 employees in Turkey, nearly half of them Turkish nationals.

"We’re trying to set up a long-term business objective here. So we always take localization as our strategy, step by step," he said.

Commending the government's efforts for reforms and changes, Li said the company has a more stable situation in Turkey than before.

Li stated that Turkey's geographical location impressed them as creating a unique combination of both Western and Eastern cultures.

He added that Turkish people are warm-hearted and more open than he thought before arriving in Turkey.

"Turkey is also a very dynamic, very energetic country, and stands out in this region," Li said.