Turkey's 2011 Investment Programme/Public Investment to Rise 17%
A growth of 17.2 percent is envisaged in public investments in 2011, an election year. Out of the TL47.9bn worth of public investments planned for 2011, TL16.7bn is to be carried out by local administrations.Turkey's Central government departments, revolving capital entities, state-owned enterprises, the Iller Bank (Provinces Bank) and companies under privatization, are set to invest almost TL31.3bn, combined. According to the 2011 Investment Programme just published in the Official Gazzete, public entities other than local administrations, had an investment stock made up of 2,534 projects, worth TL303.7bn, combined.
While many tourism authorities agree that the financial crisis, still prevailing especially in Europe, continues to badly affect Turkish tourism, an 11 percent increase in the number of tourists visiting the southern city of Antalya in 2010 is a positive sign for sector representatives. 
Turkey is stepping up its role in Iraq, vying with Iran as a regional power. These powerful neighbors use investments and building projects to ensure long-term influence. The competition is heating up as the U.S. prepares to withdraw troops from Iraq by the end of next year. Northern Iraq is the staging ground for Turkey's bid for economic dominance, and the Marina restaurant in Irbil is the kind of place that businessmen come to make deals. The food is pricey, and the live entertainment is in Turkish, a sign of Turkey's growing role. In the central market, Turkish products are available in every shop stall. (A scene at shopping mall in Erbil) 
Turkey’s top four banks play a very prominent role in the sector. State-owned Ziraat and three private banks, Garanti, Is and Akbank, have the lyon’s share in assets, deposits and profits. 
Turkey’s central bank faces challenges in ensuring growth and inflows of foreign capital don’t threaten macroeconomic stability, and the bank’s success will feed into the country’s debt rating assessment, Fitch Ratings said. “One of the challenges the central bank faces is to reduce inflation and prevent the economy overheating in a challenging policy environment, including large capital inflows and low global interest rates,” Fitch analyst Edward Parker said.
Calgary, Canada- Valeura Energy Inc. (TSXV:VLE) says it has bought an interest in the Edirne exploration licence in Turkey's main natural gas producing region for $3.1 million, expanding its presence in the country. The Calgary-based company says it will own a 35 per cent interest in the licence, which covers land in the Thrace Basin, the main natural gas producing region of Turkey. It bought the stake from Edirne Enerji Petrol Arama Uretim Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, a wholly-owned affiliate of Australia's Otto Energy Ltd. The deal is expected to close around Dec. 22. 
State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) and TURCAS Rafineri AS (STRAS) has awarded Fluor Corp. a project management consultancy for a refinery to be built in Aliaga, Turkey. TURCAS is a joint venture of SOCAR and Petrol AS. The planned refinery will be integrated into the Petkim petrochemicals complex on the Aegean coast. 
New York, NY- TurkPower Corporation (OTCBB: TRKP) (the "Company") announced that is has signed a consulting and sell mandate with the owner of a lignite fired thermal power plant project, to consult in the development, construction and financing of its 500MW capacity lignite thermal power plant ("TPP") project in Konya, Turkey. The TPP project comes including a lignite mine which is dedicated exclusively as the fuel source for the project. The economical lignite reserves are calculated to be 152,000,000 million metric tons and can supply the TPP for up to 42 years; life cycle of the TPP is 30 years. The mine shows an average lignite thickness of 12 meters and the licensed mining area is 1,852 acres and the license is valid for 42 years. Site exploration studies for a bankable mining plan were conducted by North American Coal Corporation. Total investment necessary to fund the project is approximately $1.26 billion, of which 30% is to be in the form of equity. 
Groupe Cheque Dejeuner has said it purchased Turkish meal ticket provider Multinet from businessman Hayyam Garipoğlu. The transaction, announced at a press conference in Istanbul, is worth $90 million. Cheque Dejeuner ranks among the top three meal card providers in the world, alongside Sodexho and Edenred. Multinet, which was seized by the Savings Deposit and Insurance Fund, or SDIF, in July last year, was handed back to original owner Garipoğlu in accordance with a protocol dated April 9 of this year, the Daily News has learned. 
US power producer AES Corporation has entered into an agreement with Koc Holding to form a joint venture to develop and operate power generation projects in Turkey. Under the deal, AES will buy almost 50% interest in Turkish utility Entek Elektrik Uretimi from Koc unit Aygaz. 
Hong Kong based trade fair organizer United Business Media (UBM) announced that it has agreed to acquire a 65% stake in Rotaforte International Trade Fairs & Media, the owner of the Istanbul Jewelry Show. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The announcement follows UBM’s pending $289 million acquisition of Canon Communications in the U.S. 
Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK), a leading supplier of metal packaging products worldwide, announced today a major expansion of its beverage can production capacity in Turkey. The investment plan includes increasing capacity at the Company's existing two-line facility in Izmit, near Istanbul, and the construction of a new manufacturing plant in the Osmaniye region, in south-central Turkey. 
