EBRD backs Uludağ İçecek investment in earthquake-hit Turkish city

• EBRD provides €45 million loan to Uludağ İçecek, one of Türkiye’s oldest and largest soft drinks producers
• Financing to support new mineral water and soft drinks production facility in Malatya
• Project to advance greener production, renewable energy use and skills development in earthquake-affected eastern Türkiye

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a loan of up to €45 million to Uludağ İçecek, one of Türkiye’s oldest and largest branded soft drinks producers, to support the company’s expansion in the east of the country.

The financing will enable Uludağ İçecek to construct a new mineral water and soft drinks production facility in Malatya, a city affected by the 2023 earthquakes, and to finance the purchase and installation of new equipment and machinery.

Founded in Bursa in 1912, Uludağ İçecek is a long-standing EBRD client and one of Türkiye’s leading branded soft drinks producers, operating under the Uludağ brand name in categories including sparkling mineral water, flavoured sparkling water, lemonade, carbonated soft drinks, natural spring water and energy drinks.

The new investment will help the company expand its production capacity and better serve export markets in the wider region.

The new facility will also include resource-efficient production equipment, a rooftop solar photovoltaic installation and green building design elements, supporting lower emissions per unit produced and contributing to the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition objectives.

EBRD Associate Director of Food and Agribusiness Burcu Islam Fani said: “Through this financing, we are supporting Uludağ İçecek, a long-standing client, in its investment in more sustainable, resource-efficient production while helping to create skills and employment opportunities in a region affected by the 2023 earthquakes. The project reflects the EBRD’s commitment to combining green innovation, private-sector growth and inclusion in Türkiye.”

Doğan Güneş Susuz, Group Finance Manager of Uludağ İçecek, said: “Securing investment financing from one of the world’s most respected international development finance institutions, the EBRD, with a long-term maturity, is one of the clearest indicators of the confidence placed internationally in both the Turkish economy and Uludağ İçecek’s strong financial structure, corporate governance approach and sustainable growth strategy. The EBRD’s participation in such a significant investment serves as a strong endorsement of the future of both our company and our country.”

The new facility will support manufacturing, employment and sustainable development in eastern Türkiye, creating value in numerous sectors from the supply chain to logistics. With advanced manufacturing technologies, renewable energy and production infrastructure that meets international standards, the investment aims to generate long-term value for the regional economy.

The project will also support skills development and inclusion, introducing a young talent training programme in collaboration with local education providers, creating access to market-relevant skills and employment opportunities for young people.

The EBRD is a key institutional investor in Türkiye, having committed more than €25 billion in the country since 2009, largely in the private sector.