China's electric vehicle giant BYD will open a factory in Turkey, a government source told AFP on Monday, as the company continues its international expansion.

"BYD will open a plant in Turkey," the source said, adding the details would be announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The announcement comes days after the EU slapped additional provisional tariffs of up to 38 percent on Chinese EVs following an investigation that concluded state subsidies meant they were unfairly undermining European rivals.

Turkish-made cars enjoy beneficial access to the EU under a customs union that dates to 1995.

The Marmara region around Istanbul has become one of the leading centres of the world's automobile industry.

Major carmakers including Fiat and Renault opened plants there at the beginning of the 1970s, with others like Ford, Toyota and Hyundai following, taking advantage of Turkey's position at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

China has led the global shift to electric vehicles, with almost one in three cars on its roads set to be electric by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency's annual Global EV Outlook.

Chinese EV manufacturers have also stepped up exports, prompting many nations to take measures to protect their automakers.

They have also begun looking at manufacturing abroad, with BYD having already announced plans to open its first European factory in Hungary.

Beijing has warned the EU tariff move could spark a trade war.