Tunisia Aims to Lure Turkish Investors
Officially launched on May 2 in Tunis, the Tunisian-Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry has set out to make this a concrete reality. In an interview with Express FM on Monday, May 4, Vice President Zied Ben Ayed outlined the priority sectors, expected reforms, and levers the institution plans to use to transform this goal into results.
A Brief History of the Chamber
The Tunisian-Turkish Chamber of Commerce and Industry is not a new creation. Founded two years ago by a group of founding members, it has its headquarters in Bizerte. Due to the inability to concretize its activities within the initially set deadlines, the original members decided to organize new elections. The vote, held in early February, led to the formation of a 12-member board, with some members from the previous team and others newly elected. Zied Ben Ayed was elected vice president, while the presidency was entrusted to Mr. Salçuk, an industrialist in the textile sector active in Sousse and Kairouan. Two months of work preceded the inauguration ceremony, held on May 2 at the Le Lac Concorde hotel in Tunis, attended by the Turkish ambassador, Turkish and Tunisian investors, and several parliamentarians.
Attracting Turkish Investment to Tunisian Industries
The Chamber's priority is to direct Turkish investment towards Tunisian sectors with high labor intensity. The vice president recalled that Tunisian labor is widely recognized for its high level of qualification compared to competing Mediterranean countries. He also emphasized that Turkish partners perceive Tunisia as a gateway to Africa, Europe, and the Arab world. During the inauguration ceremony, a Turkish investor operating in the aerospace sector announced plans to set up in Tunisia. Zied Ben Ayed presented this announcement as a signal that could encourage other Turkish operators less familiar with the Tunisian market.
Textile, Automotive, and Aerospace Industries Identified as Priority Sectors
On a sectoral level, the textile industry occupies a central place in the institution's strategy. The responsible official indicated that Tunisia has a competitive industrial fabric in this sector and that Turkish buyers, previously turned to Egypt, could be won back. Representatives of major global brands present in the Turkish delegation expressed concrete interest in direct investments and partnerships with production units established in Tunisia during the inauguration. The automotive and aerospace industries have also been identified as sectors with high potential, with Tunisia having an industrial fabric that Turkish companies seeking to diversify their supply chains could usefully integrate.
Renewable Energy and Tourism: Two Key Areas for Development
Zied Ben Ayed identified renewable energy as a priority area for cooperation. He argued that Turkey has a significant technical advantage in this field and that Turkish investors specializing in this area could contribute to developing solar energy production in Tunisia, reducing dependence on gas and oil imports. Concerning tourism, the responsible official acknowledged that Tunisia remains relatively unknown to Turkish travelers. Turkish tour operators participated in the inauguration ceremony, and preliminary discussions were held on opening air links. However, the vice president of the Chamber noted that the comparison with Morocco remains unfavorable to Tunisia in terms of accessibility, calling for substantial improvements in transportation and logistics.
A Call for Reforms to the Legislative and Regulatory Framework
Zied Ben Ayed mentioned a recent decision by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to exempt foreign companies from taxes for 20 years if they set up in Turkey to operate outwardly. He estimated that this measure could indirectly benefit Tunisia by attracting a portion of the Tunisian and Arab capital currently placed in Dubai, Qatar, or other Middle Eastern countries seeking more stable destinations. To capture these flows, the responsible official called for modernizing the foreign exchange law and investment legislation, specifying that the Chamber intends to work in coordination with the relevant ministries and parliament members.
