Over 4,000 foreign investors establish firms in Istanbul

ANKARA

A total of 4,072 foreign investors established companies in Istanbul in the first half of 2026, pledging 58.8 billion Turkish Liras in capital, according to Istanbul Chamber of Commerce records.

Retail attracted the largest number of investors, with 1,078, or 26.47 percent of the total, followed by services and logistics.

Information technology accounted for the largest share of pledged capital, at 20.7 billion liras, or 35.18 percent. The sector also recorded the highest average capital commitment per investor.

U.S. investors ranked first by pledged capital, followed by those from Germany and the United Arab Emirates. The 66 U.S. investors committed 20.5 billion liras, accounting for 34.82 percent of the total.

Fatih, Şişli and Esenyurt led Istanbul’s districts by investor numbers, while Şişli, Bağcılar and Tuzla ranked highest by pledged capital.