NEWS

We are celebrating the 30 Year Anniversary of the Aegean Free Zone, which was born with the aim of becoming a high-technology center in Türkiye. When the Aegean Free Zone officially started its operations on August 14^th 1990, it had been our late founder Kaya Tuncer’s dream to create a hub that adds value to the country’s economy, generate employment and increase export. Today, on our 30^th Anniversary, we are proud to have achieved this dream of our Founder. Having realized 80 billion dollars of trade volume in 30 years, an annual trade volume of 4 billion USD and employment of 20.500 people, the Aegean Free Zone boasts the confidence of being the leading free zone in Türkiye. This success is owed in great part to our Chairperson of the Board Mary Tuncer, who has made significant contributions since the very first day of ESBAŞ’s incorporation.

The example set by the Aegean Free Zone was taken as a model by many countries in America, Asia, Africa and Europe as a result of the success of ESBAŞ in attracting foreign investors with high value-added exports and improvement of the export figures. 

Today we are happy to have brought ESBAŞ and the Aegean Free Zone into a magnitude that has well surpassed its boundaries by following the values and legacy of our Founder. As founder and operator of Space Camp Türkiye, one of only two space camps in the world here at the Aegean Free Zone, ESBAŞ has welcomed more than 300 thousand kids, youngsters and adults from more than 60 countries at this special facility which is equipped with the highest technology.

The Aegean Free Zone is not only a zone consisting mostly of high technology production companies with high added value, it has also become a hub of clustering for companies manufacturing for the aerospace industry. International aerospace and offset conferences organized by ESBAŞ have significantly contributed to gaining this strength. ESBAŞ, in line with this objective, has also pioneered the foundation of Aerospace Clustering Association as well as the Aerospace Industry Technologies Program at Ege University Vocational College.

The Aegean Free Zone, harboring many global manufacturers for the automotive industry, is also a base of technology for the trailblazers of the electrical automobile technologies in the industry.

As ESBAŞ, we have concentrated on the informatics industry, which we believe will be the driver of economic growth in Izmir. Following an intense period of marketing and promotional activities, we have initiated the incorporation of Software and Informatics Industrialists Clustering Association (YABISAK), which is also a reflection of the increase in the number of the software companies at the Aegean Free Zone. The incorporation of this association, which also includes the leading stakeholders of the city, is carried out under the leadership of ESBAŞ.

While continuing to contribute to the country’s economy with 30 years of experience in the Aegean Free Zone, which has become the production and export base of Türkiye, ESBAŞ has made its mark with practices which serve as a model in the country in terms of company management. Having been awarded 2017 KALDER Türkiye Excellence Award, 2018 PERYON Engagement and Motivation Award, 2020 GPTW Türkiye’s Best Employer and 2020 GPTW Best Employer of the Aegean Region Awards, our company has always sought means and methods to develop its employees, country and the society as well as achieving sustainable growth in its actions and strategic plans.

It is with this understanding that we would like to thank our valuable stakeholders for contributing to the success of ESBAŞ and the Aegean Free Zone, which undoubtedly will continue to work for many more 30 years to come with the vision of enhancing the welfare of our people.

We would like to extend our thanks to all user companies for their contribution to the success of ESBAŞ and the Aegean Free Zone, to the directors and staff of the General Directorate of Free Zones, Overseas Investment and Services, the Aegean Free Zone Directorate and the Aegean Free Zone Customs Directorate as well as all public servants and ESBAŞ staff for their support, and all of our stakeholders who have supported us throughout this journey.

We would like to pay our respects to and cherish the memory of our late Founder Kaya Tuncer one more time, for laying the foundation of this great success story, and for the values he bequeathed, which guided us in sustaining his success.