We are carrying out contacts on the third day in New York within the framework of a biness trip as a large scale delegation.
We got together with the turkish-american Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the first day of our visit.
We have conducted bilateral meetings in order to enhance the co-operation of the Bursa companies with the US companies.
Yesterday we sought ways of new business ties with the contacts at the International Franchise Expo.
In this context, I believe that we will build important co-operations and commercial bridges today at this meeting with the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce.
I wish all the companies a fruitful meeting in advance.
Turkey is a hub located at the center of the Balkans, Caucasus, Middle East and the Gulf countries and is a bridge connecting Asia and Europe.
Turkey, with its highly strategically important geographic location in the world, is a country developing with peace and stability despite the political and economic instabilitiesin the world.
We apply free market economy in our country where the rules of competition are conducted, the private sector is a leader in the economy and the public plays a regulatory role.
Our country has performed a significant transformation and realized structural reforms in many fields in the last 10 years in harmony with the EU membership process, and is the 17th biggest economy in the world and one of the six biggest economies in Europe.
Turkey, which is the gateway to Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia, exports to more than 200 countries with an export figure of 158 billion Dollars and offers an opportunity to access a market of one fourth of the world economy with a maximum 4-hour-flight.
This makes Turkey unique in terms of commerce and foreign direct investments.
Turkey hosts almost 35 thousand foreign-capital companies with an investment amount of more than 130 billion Dollars.
We want to expand our economy 2.5 times, reach an export amount of 500 billion Dollars with a manufacturing model of high technology and added value and reach a total trade volume of 1 trillion Dollars in 2023 which is the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Republic of Turkey.
Our country is holding the presidency of the group of twenty (G20) in an era when the global economic problems have become chronic.
As the representatives of the business community, we work to remove the barriers of the global trade and to expand the economies of the countries with more manufacturing, trade and employment in B-20.
In this context, we are on the eve of an era when the rules in the world trade are shaped again.
The transatlantic trade and investment partnership between the european union and the United States will be one of the most important acts of this century.
On the other hand, in an environment where the stagnancy in global economy is continuing, in case the act enters into force with the current conditions, in a situation that the Turkish business community does not have equal rights in partnership between the USA and the EU, will be a big loss for all parties.
As a matter of fact, economically Turkey is an inseperable organic part of the European Union.
For example, today Turkey is as important as united kingdom, for the U.S.A. and the EU economies.
In this context, through the negotiations conducted by governments and business community organizations, we have been trying to remove the barriers in the world trade and improve the global welfare.
In this process, we expect a great support from our friends in New York.
Likewise, developing the commercial and co-operation opportunities between Turkey andunited states will bring many opportunities not only for the two countries but also to reach the third countries and for the global welfare.
The united states is the biggest economy in the world with its national income of 16 trillion Dollars, export of 1.5 trillion Dollars and import of more than 2 trillion Dollars.
1 out of 8 Dollars in the global trade is from the USA.
However, the USA still remains a market for the Turkish industrialists and the business community to be discovered.
Turkey holds the 41st rank in the US market with 0.3 percent.
The export of Turkey to the USA was only 6.3 billion Dollars in 2014.
The USA is one of the target markets of Turkey and the state of New York lies in the third rank of the exports of Turkey following texas and New Jersey.
In a world of intensive competition we cannot achieve the export target of 500 billion Dollars by neglecting the biggest market of the world.
Likewise, our friends in New York have the opportunity to extend trade by taking advantage of the opportunities that the Turkish market offers in the global competition.
Bursa together with New York is a candidate to play a leading role in the enhancement of the trade between the United States and Turkey in an era when the cities, but not countries drive the world economy.
Bursa, which has been one of the most important hubs of the historical Silk Road lying from China to Europe is today leading for our national development goals.
Our city hosts companies in the automotive, textile, machinery, metal, food sectors exporting to all corners of the world.
Bursa holds the second rank in the export of Turkey and the per capita income of the city is above the national average. In addition, Bursa has a better performance than the european union countries with its 6.2 % unemployment rate.
Our city hosts 20 companies with US capital.
310 companies in Bursa export to the USA.
The total export of these companies is around 570 million Dollars.
We definitely believe that this trade volume of Bursa with the USA is not enough when we are planning an export of 75 billion Dollars for 2023.
As the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry which has the privilege to be the biggest Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkey with its more than 100 thousand members with its partners, we would like to shape Bursa among the cities where information is transformed into manufacturing such as San Francisco with high-tech manufacturing with added value.
With our activities in the fields of innovation and design our aim is that Bursa becomes a center like New York where innovation and design is discussed.
Our companies working mostly in automotive, textile, machinery and food sectors in 21 organized industrial zones have reached to 13 billion Dollars export.
In Bursa which is the locomotive city of the economy of our country with its production capability and success of export rates, we have started a transformation in our Industry.
Through the clustering activities we have started in railway systems, space, aerospace and defense fields that need high technology, we aim to be the production and technology center of our geography.
Bursa which has carried out the first domestic tramway project of our country that is on the agenda of Turkey is also among the most important actors of domestic automobile and original helicopter projects.
The new generation high technology organized industrial zone project will be the center of attraction for international investors.
Through the energy facilities, technology transfer offices, test centers in it, this region will be the center of international trade network with the sea, railway, highway and airway connections.
I believe that Turkish people living in this region are going to contribute much to Bursa to be in a more strong and efficient position in the largest market of the world. I am sure that Bursa will be evaluated prior in the investment preferences of the U.S.A. companies.
In this context, i would like to express that we will be glad to host our friends from New York in Bursa to see the investment opportunities and search new business connections.
Via the Global Fair Agency project we have been carrying out in order to enhance the export potential of our companies, we have opened the doors of the most prestigious trade fairs in the world to our members from the U.S.A. to China, Russia, Dubai, France and Malaysia.
Our members have made new business connections at these fairs.
International Franchise Expo, at which we are participating with a delegation of 160 people with a private aircraft, is the one the first important organizations in this scope.
The representatives of the Bursa business community have the chance to see the innovations in the sector.
I believe that today in New York, which can compete not only with the largest economies of U.S.A. but also the world with the national income of 1.2 trillion Dollars, the representatives of the Bursa business community will build new commercial bridges from Bursa to New York through the bilateral meetings they will have.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to you for your kind hospitality and for the successful organization
I hope that the bilateral meetings will benefit to our companies, our cities and countries, and I salute you with my best regards. |
