World Bulletin / News Desk

International direct investment (IDI) to Turkey reached US$1.2 billion in January 2014, a 51 percent increase from the $802 million invested the same month of the previous year, according to the Turkish Economy Ministry.

The service sector benefited the most from foreign capital with US$491 million invested in January, according to data provided by Turkey´s Economy Ministry. The manufacturing industry followed with US$269 million invested and the energy sector with US$44 million.

84 percent of foreign investment, US$707 million, comes from the European Union.

Still according to the ministry’s data, 180 new foreign-funded companies established themselves in January 2014 making it a total of 37,246 companies with international capital operating in Turkey.

According to Turkey´s Investment Support and Promotion Agency (ISPAT), the country should continue to attract international investments in 2014, specifically in the fields of energy, banking-insurance and finance.

In 2013, international direct investment (IDI) decreased 4.1 percent from the previous year to attain US$12.6 billion.