In Turkey, Free Zones differ in terms of their establishment models. Gaziantep Free Zone has been established in accordance with the model in which the land, establishment, and operation of a free zone completely belong to the private sector. In this regard, GASBAS, a joint stock company, was authorized to establish and operate the Gaziantep Free Zone in 1998.
The Gaziantep Free Zone is one of the important free zones of Turkey due to its production activities and the geographical location it offers to its investors.
Gaziantep City
Located at the intersection of the Mediterranean Region and the Southeastern Anatolia Region, Gaziantep is a border city adjacent to Syria. In addition to the Sof Mountains, which are the extensions of the Southeastern Taurus Mountains, there are also Dulukbaba, Sam, Ganibaba, and Sarıkaya Mountains in the city. While Islahiye, Barak, Araban, Yavuzeli, and Oguzeli are important plains of the city, the Euphrates River, Nizip Stream, Afrin Stream, Merziman Stream, and Alleben Brook are significant water sources.
The lands of the city, more than half of which are suitable for agriculture, are covered with olive, pistachio, fruit and vegetable gardens, vineyards, and cotton and wheat fields. In the mountainous parts of the province, there are partially pine, fir, cedar forests, steppe, and semi-steppe vegetation. Gaziantep is a rich city in terms of wildlife as well. There is a great number of partridge, turtle, wild duck, wild goose, haze grouse, henna owl, pigeon, sparrow, bellbird, wild boar, rabbit, waterfowl, porcupine, and quail in the forests of the city.
Shown as a model for developing world cities, Gaziantep is one of the important cities of Turkey having the dynamics of economic and social development in the sustainable development process of this country, providing an economic integration between the Middle East and West and functioning as a cultural bridge.
As it has been established on the 2000-year-old Silk Road, which is world-famous as the path of traders, sages, ideas, religions, and cultures starting from China and extending to Europe, this has constituted the basis of productivity and commercial capability that are characteristics of Gaziantep, which is the gateway of the Silk Road to Anatolia.
Gaziantep has become a leading touristic destination with its increasing cultural and touristic investments in recent years as well.
Gaziantep Free Zone
The Gaziantep Free Zone is located in an area that will contribute to the industrialization of the GAP region. It has 25 km distance from the airport, 200 km from Iskenderun port, and 300 km from Mersin port. As it has a 60 km distance from the Oncupinar border gate and a 200 km distance from the Cilvegozu border gate, which strengthens its border trade potential. With its area of 1.299.711.81 m2, the Gaziantep Free Zone is one of the significant free zones in Turley.
General Types of Possible Operating Licenses in this Free Zone:
- Manufacturing
- Purchase and sale
- Storage (Indoor and Outdoor Areas)
- Assembly - Disassembly
- Banking
- Insurance and Others
- Maintenance Repair
- Renting and Financial Leasing
Advantages of Gaziantep Free Zone
Geographical Location Advantage
Due to the location of Gaziantep at the center of the roads and railways connecting the Southeastern Anatolia to the West, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, Gaziantep Airport's international status, flow of goods, services and visitors to this city has been intensified.
Functioning like a bridge between regions in terms of its geographical location, Gaziantep is primarily a trade center. With its huge industry and economic structure, Gaziantep is more developed than other cities involved in the GAP project, and has a direct relation with the GAP project. As a geographical location, it functions as the complementary part and gate of the region covered by the GAP.
In addition to its proximity to the GAP region, Gaziantep serves as a bridge between SYRIA, IRAQ and other Middle Eastern countries. More importantly, Gaziantep is the center for goods supplied to IRAQ. In addition to these geographical advantages, Gaziantep has its own industrial capacity. Gaziantep Free Zone is adjacent to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Organized Industrial Sites.
From this perspective, Gaziantep Free Zone has many advantages due to its geographical location.
The region is established on the Gaziantep-Kahramanmaras highway and is close to the highway connecting to Mersin and Iskenderun ports.
Financial and Commercial Advantages
The profits obtained from the activities in the region can be freely transferred to any country,
- It is likely to provide attractive foreign-currency working and investment loans with low interest rates from the banks operating in the Free Zone.
- Purchases and sales made by foreign-currency, protects companies’ working capitals against inflation.
- Any customs duty, other tax and fund are not paid for new and second-hand machines and goods brought to the Zone from abroad.
- After stocking goods for an indefinite period at duty free area, you can sell goods to Turkey only by paying customs duty, if any, or VAT in batches in case of demand.
- As sales from Turkey to the Zone will be sent abroad from the free zone, users of the zone can buy goods from Turkey without paying VAT.
- The companies operating at the zone are exempted from VAT, customs duty, and KKDF (resource utilization support fund).
- In Gaziantep Free zone, users are not adversely affected by inflation, since convertible transactions of purchase-sale, stock valuation, and accounting can be made in foreign currency if preferred.
- In GASBAS, trade by exchange is allowed.
Proprietary Rights Advantage
GASBAS is a free zone that can grant title deed ownership to its users. Investors can buy their own land and have permanent ownership opportunities. By means of this opportunity offered by GASBAS, investors may have a reliable and profitable investment model they can liquidate at any time.
For which companies is it more advantageous to operate in Gaziantep Free Zone?
- The companies not wanting to spend time with bureaucracy,
- The companies selling the products they manufacture using imported inputs to foreign markets,
- The companies operating in labor-intensive sectors,
- Transit The companies operating in transit trade, re-export, and barter trade,
- The manufacturers, wholesalers, banks, and insurers wanting to trade in foreign currency,
- The companies seeking a modern business environment with infrastructure.
Source: Gaziantep