BASBAŞ has been working actively since 2017 to establish and operate Türkiye’s 19^th free zone with the intention of boosting exports, creating new business areas and introducing new investment options for domestic and foreign investors.

Lengthy feasibility studies have pointed to Bergama as the most convenient location for a new free zone, being located at the intersection point of rail, land and sea transport connections. Following the approval of these feasibility studies by the Ministry of Trade, Türkiye’s 19^th free zone was decided to be established under the name of "Western Anatolia Free Zone” on the treasury’s 2.5 million square meter land in Aşağıkırıklar vicinity of Bergama.

The official approvals were finalized with the Presidencial Decree published in the Official Gazette on September 8^th 2021, and BASBAŞ – Western Anatolia Free Zone Development and Operating Co. was authorized to establish and operate the zone.

The Western Anatolia Free Zone has the shortest and fastest road connection to Europe with 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, and is connected to the world by sea with the ports in Aliağa Nemrut Bey. The North Aegean Port to be established in Çandarlı will provide an edge to the companies in the free zone in terms of transporting their products to global markets in large transit container ships. In addition to the advantages for faster shipment to international markets, the companies can also benefit from the advanced production infrastructure of the Aegean and Marmara regions as well as Izmir, which has a highly educated population of 4.4 million, gaining an advantage over their competitors in the supply of goods and services they need for their production. All of these opportunities give an advantage of speed and quality to the companies operating in the Western Anatolia Free Zone, providing them with a competitive edge in international trade.  

The Western Anatolia Free Zone aims to cluster companies engaged in high value added production with medium and high technology, and to create high employment potential in the North Aegean Region, especially in Bergama, Kınık and Dikili with the economic values they produce, and to provide maximum benefit to the economy of the region.

The Western Anatolia Free Zone is expected to provide direct employment to 20 thousand people, reach an annual trade volume of over 4 billion dollars and an export of over 2 billion dollars when it reaches its full capacity. The economic value will not only reinforce the economy of Izmir and our country, it will also change the fate of the North Aegean Region.