Of course, Istanbul is a city where the places where economic decisions are taken are strangely scattered. Of course, large modern buildings crammed with class A offices tend to spring up in the Maslak and Levent districts. But Taksim Square and its surrounding districts (Beyoglu, Harbiye...) remain the beating heart of Istanbul's business life and home to most of the big hotels and restaurants that keep it alive. And it's all the more vibrant because, after overcoming a major crisis in 2001, Turkey has once again become a particularly dynamic country, with an annual growth rate approaching 8 % over the period 2002-2006.
This development has attracted the attention of French investors and exporters: Franco-Turkish trade topped the €9 billion mark in 2006 and, according to the French Chamber of Commerce in Turkey, "French companies account for almost 6.6 % of foreign capital" in Turkey. Despite the great uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the process, the opening of accession negotiations with the European Union in October 2005 only served to draw the attention of French investors to this country, whose strange topographical nature, straddling two continents, arouses curiosity to say the least.
