Ford Motor Company has set up a new 650-million-dollar plant in Turkey that is expected to become the global production center for a family of light commercial vehicles, reported the Financial Times.
Jac Nasser, chief executive of the world's second-largest vehicle maker, is due to unveil the plans at the inauguration of Ford's Kocaeli plant at Golcuk, near Istanbul.
The plant, employing 4,000 workers directly and creating jobs for a further 16,000 among local suppliers, will be hailed by the Turkish government as a vote of confidence in its struggling economy. Bulent Ecevit, the Turkish prime minister, is due to join Nasser at the official opening of the factory on Friday following a three-year construction project, the largest inward investment in the country's automotive industry.
Completion of the plant was delayed by the 1999 earthquake in Turkey, which added $18m to the total costs, said the online service.
The plant will expand Ford's production of Transit vans in Turkey, while also becoming the hub for a new smaller light commercial vehicle.
Ford insiders describe the new vehicle as a hybrid model, combining the functions of a passenger car and a van - replacing the old Escort van. The new vehicle will be assembled only in Turkey, with 95 percent of output earmarked for export.
Total capacity at the plant is expected to be 150,000 vehicles a year – Albawaba.com
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