Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

In Ankara for official visit, the Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev and the Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz were hosted at a business dinner held at the TOBB Union Center by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.

Prior to the dinner, Atambayev was presented with a picture album of the ceremony from the previous year of his investment of the honorary doctorate title in International Affairs by the TOBB University of Economy and Technology.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, in his speech prior to the dinner, expressed his congratulations on the 20th anniversary of Kyrgyzstan’s freedom and stated that he heartily believed that Atambayev who was elected to presidency successfully would bring prosperity to the Kyrgyz people.

Stating that the fact that Atambayev’s first official in 2012 is to Turkey is the most concrete proof of the view the Kyrgyz and Turkish people have of each other, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “In fact this has given us even more courage to strengthen our bonds. I present my gratitude on behalf of the Turkish private sector.”

Pointing out that Turkey is the 17th largest economy among the world’s most developed 20 countries and the 6th in Europe, Hisarcıklıoğlu said:
“Turkey has the largest private sector between Italy and China, is an industrial giant having embraced free market economy, it is the largest economic power between Italy and China.

Especially in the last 30 years, the personal income in Turkey has increased from 2,000 Dollars to 15,000 Dollars and has raised its exports from 3 billion Dollars to 135 billion Dollars. It appears we have a great entrepreneurial spirit in us. This is what we’ve discovered in the last 30 years. Turkey has achieved these economic successes in the last 30 years with the dynamism of the Turkish private sector.”
The TOBB President stated that with a growth rate of 8.9%, Turkey has become the fastest growing country in Europe in 2010, and went on, “With a growth rate of 9.6% in the first 9 months of 2011 we have become the fastest growing country in the world for the first time. Right now, we’ve passed China as the world’s fastest growing country and we are very proud of this.”

Relating that Turkey exports to over 200 countries today, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that product diversity is around 20,000.
Stating that over 50% of Turkey’s exports are made to Europe, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “This is indicative of the power of the Turkish private sector.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu, saying that 1 in every 4 home appliances, 1 in every 3 TVs sold in Europe are Turkish products, went on, “Thirty years ago, we couldn’t have even imagined this.”

Stating that the construction sector has achieved great success, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that Turkey is 2nd in the world in terms of construction, 2nd in overland transportation and 7th in tourism.

On the state of Turkish industry, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkey is the 2nd country in the world to produce 11 different brands of automobile after the USA in the World.

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that in their Japan visit 2.5 years ago, Toyota’s CEO stated that “We build cars in 27 countries but the only country to have 0 production errors is Turkey,” saying that this is indicative of the quality of goods produced in Turkey and the work done by Turkish workers.

Stating that the CEO of Hyundai has said the same things in their visit to South Korea 1.5 years ago, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We are proud of this.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that with the precautions taken by the Turkish government and the private-public sector cooperation in the last 5 years, many success stories have been written.

- “We have made the field viable for play”

Stating that in the past Turkey drew in 1 billion Dollars of foreign investment yearly, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that Turkey has come to the point where it is drawing in 22 billion Dollars of foreign investment each year. Hisarcıklıoğlu went on:
“What we did was make the playing field viable for the investors. The Turkish private sector has invested 85 billion Dollars in Turkey in 2011. How did this historical record come about? We have made the conditions and the playing field viable. When it was made viable everyone wanted to play on the field. Everyone who, 30 years ago, said ‘We can’t achieve these,’ has achieved those goals. We now have great confidence. There is no country we could not sell our goods to in the world.”

- “We wish to prosper together with our Kyrgyz brothers”

Stating that approximately 300 companies have invested in Kyrgyzstan, Turkish construction companies have taken on 44 projects, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The coming age, the 21st century will be the age of Asia. 51% of the world’s economy is to Turkey’s east whereas it used to be to the west of Turkey. On the western end of the Eurasian geopolitics stands Turkey, with Kyrgyzstan on the eastern end. We must take advantage of our positions and this policy well.

China presents us with an advantage. Goods produced in China, moving to the western corridor and goods going to China. Kyrgyzstan and Turkey have the opportunity to revitalize the ancient Silk Road. Being on this trade route means prosperity for us and is significant in terms of national security. We wish to prosper together with our Kyrgyz brothers.”

- “Joint arbitration should be established between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey”

Stating that obstructions to trade must be eliminated in order to prosper, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that an institution of joint arbitration should be established between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey.

Stating that during the ECO Summit, the Economic Cooperation Organization Trade Agreement (ECOTA) was signed, lowering customs tax rates, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the as per agreement made between 57 Islam countries, trade would become easier with Kyrgyzstan lowering its customs rates.

Stating that the Trade Preferential System among the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (TPS OIC), aimed at facilitating trade between Islam countries will alleviate some of the obstructions to trade among Islam countries, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that Kyrgyzstan’s support in TÜRKKON -the Turkish Council made up of the commerce and industry chambers of Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan- was very important.

Hisarcıklıoğlu presented Atambayev with hand painted ceramics while Atambayev presented Hisarcıklıoğlu with a painting.
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