A GATE FOR DECARBONIZATION OF EU

EU goes green deal; eco-friendly passenger cars and electric vehicles market is expanding in EU and western hemisphere. So, what will happen to internal combustion cars cruising on European roads?

Turkey is the most green and logical solution for EU zone's used automobiles. A group of political experts in Turkey published a policy note for EU’s and Turkey’s policy makers that figures out how European's used vehicles can improve Turkish economy and EU green politics simultaneously.

 

A group of political advisors and social dynamics experts in Turkey conducted research which addresses a policy as a solution for EU’s green transformation and Turkish people's transportation problems simultaneously. Research shows that Turkish people is not able to buy brand new vehicles due to weak Turkish lira and exorbitant taxes. Millions of young people and most of the families in Turkey can't being a part of economy and social life because they can’t be able to buy a car in current conditions. In research, a young person who is university graduate said that "We can’t be able to buy even 40 years old scrap car which has no safety feature." In this frame, researchers say that EU's used vehicles are a chance for Turkey and EU at the same time. Turkey needs to improve Turkish people's transportation capabilities. EU need to focus on aging carbon-based vehicle stock. Researchers say; most of EU's used cars can being used in Turkish roads. In this scenario, experts say that EU can easily decarbonize roads by exporting its internal combustion vehicles to Turkey.

Social life researchers figure out that Improvements in transportation capabilities affects individual’s life and feeling of freedoms positively along with productivity. Therefore, it’s expected that EU's used cars will improve Turkish social life and economy easily.

Importing used cars in Turkey is banned by rules and regulations. Those rules have established in the last century to protect the domestic automobile industry. Currently its controversial to protect local industry because domestic industry have engagements with global clients and partners more than domestic market.

 

In 2021; Germany was most notable foreign partner of Turkish automotive industry. Turkish automotive industry have reach 4.16 billon usd export to Germany. Total export of Turkish automobile industry to EU was 19 billion usd in 2021 as well. Financial statements of some of the private companies in Turkey shows that foreign markets sales are bigger than domestic sales. In this frame; exorbitant taxes along with one-sided protective regulations in Turkey are harming Turkish consumers and infringing international free-trade conditions too.

EU based EV manufacturers mainly located in Germany. EV industry is one of the dynamos of European economy. 50 millions internal combustion passenger cars are cruising on German roads. It’s considered that those cars are getting old but recycling of old vehicles in EU or transferring them to other continents seems not so feasible. At the other hand, there are only 12 million passenger cars in Turkish roads. Turkey and Germany are nearly same size in populations but car ownership rates totally different. In 2019 statistics, passenger car ownership ratio is %15 in Turkey, while %54 in EU 27 and %57 in Germany. It is crystal clear that Turkey has plenty of room to buy EU's used automobiles. Turkish young populations can vacuum used cars of EU in quantum speed just in a few years. Researchers expect that Turkish market is able to import 30 millions of used car for its own needs and another 15 millions for re-sales to Middle East and Asia markets.

Refik ISIK, legislative and political advisor and director of researchers says; “While Europe transforms internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles, there will be a notable stock of old cars need to be recycled or dumped. Our politics offer can be described as a quantum leap for EU’s green deal politics and Turkish economy. We know that there are millions of old generation cars rolling in EU roads waiting to be changed for electric vehicles, but those old cars are still have economic life. We also know that average vehicle age of EU is less than Turkey. Furthermore, its known that even old cars cruising in EU roads have more safety features than newer vehicles cruising in Turkey too. Statistics are very dramatic; in Turkey, Car ownership rates per 1.000 inhabitants is only 162, while EU (27) average is 540, Germany's and Austria's rate is 566. So, it’s not just a minor opportunity for our communities, it’s a most logical and cost/effective solution for EU and Turkish partnership. We see that there is a win-win situation for all parts."

Policy note is published by Senatvm Strategic Communications (Turkey) offers a new and combined socio-economic policy for expanding cooperation between the EU and Turkey.  For further information, please contact with us.