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SelectUSA Roadshow to Türkiye Brings Turkish Business Community Together with US Investment Opportunities

03.02.2026
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The SelectUSA Roadshow to Türkiye was held at Odakule in collaboration with the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ICI), DEİK/Türkiye-US Business Council, and the US Consulate General in Istanbul, as part of SelectUSA, the official investment support and networking program of the US Department of Commerce for companies wishing to invest in the country.

Hosted by ICI Chairman of Board of Directors Erdal Bahçıvan, the event served as an important platform for the Turkish business community to learn more about the US market, evaluate investment opportunities directly with relevant parties, and establish long-term partnerships. The US Consul General in Istanbul Michael Lally also attended the event.

The event featured SelectUSA representatives and development offices from seven states (Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia) who shared up-to-date information on the investment and business environment, along with details on the general incentive system in the US based on scale, sector, and investment type. The Roadshow also featured a panel on Investment Opportunities in the US from the Perspective of Turkish Investors and a panel on Service Providers in the US, held in the morning and afternoon sessions, where successful Turkish companies that have invested in the US and benefited from various incentive programs shared their experiences. Through bilateral meetings, Turkish companies were also informed on legal, financial, accounting, business development, construction, and location selection issues to enter the US market.

The event was attended by members of the ICI Board of Directors and members of the ICI Assembly and Professional Committees, as well as members of the DEİK US Business Council and representatives of US State Development Organizations. Information was shared on the general incentive system in the US according to scale, sector, and investment type.

In his opening speech, Erdal Bahçıvan, Chairman of ICI, said, "The conditions the world is going through and the promising bilateral trade between Türkiye and the US represent a tremendous opportunity for a complementary, tailor-made partnership. Since we cannot afford to waste this opportunity, we can easily establish a mutually beneficial cooperation model for both countries by initiating a meticulous preparation process on a sector-by-sector basis and conducting negotiations. Türkiye and the US are complementary partners in terms of investments. Mutual investments between Türkiye and the US are crucial to turn this advantage into an opportunity for third countries. Developing joint projects, especially in high technology and digitalization, automotive, white goods, textiles, ready-to-wear, electrical & electronics, and energy, will be in the interest of both countries," he said.

At the opening of the event, Chairman Erdal Bahçıvan said that they believe the interaction generated at the SelectUSA Roadshow to Türkiye will soon turn into concrete investment decisions and lasting partnerships. “Today, we are opening the doors to an investment environment that inspires confidence with the principles of predictability and institutional facilitation, which we need most”, he said and continued:

“Turkish and American economic relations should focus not only on increasing trade volume but also on establishing long-term strategic partnerships. This approach will increase both countries' economic growth and global competitiveness. Recent talks between the two countries have also sent an important message in this direction. The dialogue at the leadership level has clearly demonstrated the will to strengthen the foundation for strategic partnership and create new momentum, particularly in the areas of investment and trade. Both the current conditions of the world and our promising bilateral trade represent a tremendous opportunity for a complementary, tailor-made partnership. Since we cannot afford to waste this opportunity, we can easily establish a mutually beneficial cooperation model for both countries by initiating a meticulous preparation process on a sector-by-sector basis and conducting negotiations. Today, the US is the world's largest economy and a major technological power. Türkiye, on the other hand, is the largest production base in the region with its advanced industrial infrastructure, entrepreneurial culture, and geographical location. In these respects, the two countries are complementary partners in terms of investments. I would like to emphasize that mutual investments between Türkiye and the US are crucial to turn this advantage into an opportunity for third countries.”

Bahçıvan summarized as follows: “Developing joint projects, especially in high technology and digitalization, automotive, white goods, textiles, ready-to-wear, electrical & electronics, and energy, will be in the interest of both countries. Energy security and diversity, in particular, have become not only an economic issue but also a strategic one today. Indeed, the liquefied natural gas and nuclear cooperation agreements signed between our governments will increase the diversity of Türkiye's energy supply and strengthen the security of supply for both our country and our region."

Referring to the significant potential for e-commerce between the two countries, Bahçıvan said: "The US is among the leading countries in terms of global e-commerce volume. In the context of cooperation between the two countries, the establishment of logistics centers in Türkiye by US-based global marketplaces with investments exceeding $100 million clearly demonstrates that our country is considered a strategic market. On the other hand, the US market continues to be a priority target for Turkish industrialists and entrepreneurs in e-commerce due to its volume and potential. Indeed, despite its geographical distance, the US is among the countries where our companies receive a significant amount of orders through e-commerce platforms. This clearly demonstrates the interest American consumers have in Turkish products.”

Michael Lally, Consul General of the United States in Istanbul, also gave a speech at the opening of the event, and said:

“The United States and Türkiye have a deep and enduring economic relationship. Our mutual trade in goods and services exceeds $42 billion annually, and American companies continue to be among the largest and most stable foreign investors in Türkiye. Meanwhile, Turkish companies are becoming increasingly competitive on a global scale and aim to expand their operations, production, and partnerships in the United States. An ideal goal has been set at the leadership level to reach 100 billion dollars in bilateral trade between the US and Türkiye. To achieve this goal, it will be necessary to increase investments, strengthen supply chain integration, and continue to emphasize transparent, market-oriented policies that allow companies on both sides to compete and grow. This is precisely where SelectUSA plays a critical role.

As the US government's largest investment promotion platform, SelectUSA clearly demonstrates our priority: that the US is the biggest destination for foreign direct investment. The US offers unique advantages for industrial growth, including scale, innovation, legal certainty, and access to capital, energy security, and the world's most productive workforce. Foreign direct investment strengthens the US manufacturing sector and reinforces our shared economic leadership. Investments from Türkiye, especially from the manufacturing experts in this room, to the United States are further deepening the strategic economic partnership between the two countries.”

Following the opening speeches, SelectUSA Senior Investment Advisor Stephanie Rothman gave a brief presentation on SelectUSA. In her presentation, Rothman touched on the following points:

"There has been a steady increase in economic relations between the United States and Türkiye over the past few years, which is truly gratifying. I believe this is also reflected in our meetings with Turkish investors and the productive conversations we have had here at the SelectUSA Investment Summit. Looking at disclosed greenfield investments from Türkiye to the US over the past decade or so, there are many common and overlapping sectors on both sides. Metals, electronic components, plastics, and energy, in particular, are among the main areas of investment from Türkiye to the US. These investments largely overlap with the US government's priority sectors, which naturally brings us to who SelectUSA is and what it does.

SelectUSA supports foreign companies from around the world that want to invest and expand their operations in the US. We focus on greenfield investments and work with two main stakeholders: foreign investors like you and our economic development organization (EDO) partners. Since our foundation, SelectUSA has helped facilitate over $390 billion in investments and supported the creation of more than 265,000 jobs across the United States. So how do we support companies? We do this through three key areas: providing actionable information, creating a platform for connections, and helping you understand the federal system. We are not working alone in this process; we are working in close collaboration with the teams at the U.S. Consulate and Embassy in Türkiye.”

Following the presentation, the event continued with a panel titled “Investment Opportunities in the U.S. from the Perspective of Turkish Investors.” Moderated by Burak Orhun, President of Strategic Investments at Sabancı Holding and Chairman of the TAİK SelectUSA Working Group, the panel featured speakers Deniz Emre Dağ, Assistant General Manager of Strategy and Business Development at Borusan Holding; Jade Yeşim Şencebe, Managing Director at Ado Industries/CS Global Group; and Yiğit Çetindağ, General Manager at Mega Metal.

In his opening remarks, Burak Orhun said the following:

"In their opening speeches, both Chairman Erdal and the US Consul General in Istanbul touched on important issues. The leaders of the two countries have set a very important and ambitious goal of reaching a trade volume of $100 billion. One of the most fundamental ways to achieve this goal is through mutual investments. We have very valuable panelists who have invested in this area; we will talk about them shortly. The investments made to date were also shown in the previous presentation. The Turkish-American Business Council has been working intensively on this issue since its establishment forty years ago.

To date, we see that approximately 130 projects have reached a total investment volume of $12 billion. However, considering a large economy like the United States, these figures are still insufficient. For the trade volume between Türkiye and the US to reach $100 billion, these investments need to increase further. Of course, when increasing these investments, we should not think of the US as a single country. Each state has its own unique dynamics, different economic and competitive advantages, and different investment models.”

Deniz Emre Dağ, Assistant General Manager, Strategy and Business Development at Borusan Holding also gave a speech at the panel and said:

”When we first evaluated the US market in 2010, we were already exporting approximately 20-30% of our production to the US at that time. So the US was not a market we were entering from scratch. I believe that positioning the US as one of our main target markets, rather than a niche or secondary market, allowed us to see the opportunities there earlier. Looking at our structure at the time, we were a company that produced more standard types of pipes, with a large part of our production aimed at the construction sector in Türkiye.

However, our goal was to focus on sectors with higher added value and higher customer and service level expectations, such as automotive and energy. These were also segments that were more suited to Borusan's industrial DNA and competitive advantages. Therefore, we identified these areas as our strategic growth areas. By closely monitoring the American market, we were able to identify the transformation in the country's energy sector quite early and in a timely manner. At that time, the US had made a significant breakthrough in the oil and natural gas industry with shale gas technologies and gained an important competitive edge. We also recognized this trend in time."

Jade Yeşim Şencebe, Executive General Manager of Ado Industries/CS Global Group, said the followings during the panel session:

"Ado Mining is now an incorporated company established in the United States. However, before reaching this point, we pursued the questions of how we could establish a presence in the US through distributors, how we could reach customers, and conduct feasibility studies. The US has a very different mineral structure. Our product was not very suitable for its natural characteristics. Despite this, we were already a well-known, strong brand globally and especially in the drilling sector. In the US, you inevitably start out like a start-up. Despite this, we built a strong distributor network and became the main distributor in the US. Our company structure was established in Florida.

This process clearly demonstrated to us that if you want to do business in the US, you first need to show that you are truly present there and that you are reliable. Because the end user looks at your continuity there and whether you can supply the product in a sustainable manner. We first provided this trust in operational terms. We signed agreements with nearly 500 distributors in the United States and set out on our journey that way. We then realized that the most critical issue was actually bringing the product there and owning it."

Mega Metal General Manager Yiğit Çetindağ touched on the following topics in his speech at the panel:

"The US market is a market where technological products are at the forefront and technology is developing very rapidly. In our product group, the US is in an extremely strategic position. For about twenty years, we had the opportunity to work with many different business partners in the US. In recent years, however, changes in both supply chains and global regulations, particularly triggered by the pandemic, have steered us more strongly toward the American market. We had been receiving invitations to invest, especially since 2020, and we began to feel this invitation more clearly, so we carefully evaluated the process.

However, being truly in the market makes a big difference. Because when you are only an exporter from here, you are a supplier on the other side of the ocean. It becomes difficult to overcome certain barriers, and you are often seen as a second alternative supplier for customers. It is not easy to change this perception unless you are physically present in the market. This situation was a strategic turning point for us. Our primary motivation was to follow in our customers' footsteps and become a natural part of their supply chain. Reducing fragility in supply processes and making our customers feel that we offer them a more secure and sustainable structure became one of our most important goals.”

During the afternoon session of the event, two separate US Service Providers Panels were held for companies wishing to operate in the US market. The panels addressed critical topics related to investment, law, finance, taxation, location selection, and construction processes. The panel, moderated by Yaprak Çakılcıoğlu, Deputy Commercial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, featured representatives from Ada Business Strategies, Ozisik PLLC, VakıfBank New York Branch, and Manay CPA. The panel offered information about the legal, financial, and tax issues encountered in the process of establishing a business and investing in the US.

The second session of the day, “US Service Providers Panel – 2,” was moderated by Perim Akgüner, Deputy Commercial Attaché at the US Consulate General in Istanbul. Representatives from Docra, Global Location Strategies, and Evans General Contractors shared their experiences regarding location selection, investment planning, and construction processes in the US.

Short presentations were given by Economic Development Organizations to introduce the investment environments of the US states. Presentations shared information with participants about the economic structures, investment opportunities, and incentives offered by the states of Iowa, Mississippi, Ohio–Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.

They provided information on the states' leading sectors, labor force structures, logistical advantages, and support mechanisms for foreign investors. Opportunities offered by different states were compared for companies aiming to enter the US market.

Following the program, bilateral meetings were held between Economic Development Agencies, US-based service providers, and potential investor companies. During these meetings, participants had the opportunity to establish direct contact regarding investment projects, evaluate opportunities for cooperation, and elaborate on their entry strategies into the US market.