FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen Group is not scouting for alternative locations as it evaluates plans to build a new car factory in Turkey, said Andreas Tostmann, VW's production chief.
Earlier this month, the automaker said it had postponed a decision to build a car plant in Turkey in the wake of international criticism of the country's military operations in Syria.
"We are watching developments. Plans for Turkey are currently on hold. We are not actively looking at alternative locations," Tostmann told journalists in a call on Tuesday.
The decision to put the Turkish investment on hold reignited interest among other countries vying to host the 1.3 billion-euro ($1.4 billion) plant that would build the VW Passat and Skoda Octavia midsize models.
Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia hope VW will return to its earlier shortlist of sites, which included the Balkan nations and North Africa.
Bulgaria's government is ready to boost its offer and double the subsidies available to VW to 260 million euros from an initial 135 million while Serbia's pitch is that an investment by VW would help stabilize the region. Romania has a Ford Motor factory and is home to Dacia, which is owned by Renault.
