German car manufacturer Volkswagen has said the search for a location for a new factory is still ongoing and that no final decision has yet been made, despite earlier claims that the company had decided to make the investment in Turkey, Deutsche Welle Turkish service reported on Tuesday.
“What is certain is that the decision will be an economic one, not political,” Stephan Weil, a member of the supervisory board said, adding that the choice would be made at one of its upcoming board meetings, possibly in the fall.
In June a report by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) claimed that the German carmaker was considering a location near the western port city of İzmir for a €2 billion car assembly plant.
Public broadcaster ARD said in July that VW reached an agreement with the Turkish government following reassurances given by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan regarding issues related to taxes, workers and sales volume.
The idea drew criticism by some who highlighted the unfavorable human rights situation in the country.
Weil said they should avoid giving the impression to Turkey’s democrats that they have abandoned the entire country because of Erdoğan’s rule.