Turkish President, Tayyip Erdogan, has extended an invitation to Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, to establish a Tesla factory in Turkey. During a meeting at the Turkish House in New York, Erdogan and Musk discussed the potential collaboration, with Musk expressing that Turkey is one of the most significant candidates for Tesla’s next factory. Turkish suppliers are already working with Tesla, according to Musk.
In addition to the invitation to build a factory, Erdogan also expressed interest in cooperation on artificial intelligence and SpaceX’s satellite internet venture, Starlink. The Turkish communications directorate stated that Musk intends to work with Turkish authorities to obtain the necessary license to offer Starlink services in Turkey. Moreover, Musk gladly accepted Erdogan’s invitation to attend the Teknofest aerospace and technology festival in Izmir at the end of September.
This invitation from President Erdogan comes as Tesla continues to expand its global presence, with plans for a new factory in Mexico and expressed interest in building a factory in India to produce low-cost electric vehicles. With Turkey being positioned as a crucial candidate for Tesla’s new factory, it highlights the country’s commitment to advancing electric vehicle technology and its potential as a manufacturing hub.
While Tesla has not yet responded to the invitation, the company’s shares have seen significant growth this year, and they recently announced the production of their 5 millionth car. Furthermore, Musk’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will focus on discussing artificial intelligence technology.
It’s worth noting that although Musk purchased the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for $44 billion, Tesla’s CEO has complied with certain content censorship demands by the Turkish government, despite describing himself as a free speech absolutist.
Sources:
– Reuters – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan asks Elon Musk to build Tesla factory in Turkey
– Turkish Communications Directorate – Meeting between Erdogan and Musk at Turkish House, New York