ESBAŞ Information

The Aegean Free Zone, which opened in 1990, is the first manufacturing-based modern free zone in Turkey. It also is the first Turkish free zone to be developed and operated by a private-sector company, ESBAS, the Aegean Free Zone Development and Operating Company. ESBAS is part of a privately owned U.S. company, called EAC International. Today, the Aegean Free Zone has attracted more foreign direct investment than any of the other 19 free zones in Turkey and accounts for more than 30% of Turkey’s total free zone employment. ESBAS was established using the “Build–Operate–Transfer” (BOT) model. All infrastructure and superstructure investments, loading, unloading, transportation, labor procurement, food, landscaping, utilities and around the clock support services, including a fire truck and all other municipal services, are provided by ESBAS. The Aegean Free Zone is located on 2.2 million m² (550 acres) in Gaziemir, Izmir. The Zone is 4 km from the Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport, 12 km from the Port of Izmir and 1 km from major highways. Today there are 175 companies in the Aegean Free Zone, 101 domestic and 74 international. Total trade volume generated in 2017 was $4.3 billion USD, and the overall trade volume generated since the establishment of the Zone is $70 billion USD. One-third of all investment in the 18 free zones in Turkey is at the Aegean Free Zone. The Aegean Free Zone provides employment for nearly 20,300 people. This accounts for one-third of the employment generated in all 18 free zones in Turkey. Electronics, automotive parts, machinery manufacturing and assembly, aerospace and defense industry, precision measuring devices, metal fasteners, kitchen furniture manufacturing, textiles, food processing and packaging are among the predominant sectors in the Aegean Free Zone. Textile products, ready-to-wear garments, heavy construction equipment, chemical products and consumer durables are the most traded product types.