Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Attending the dinner held at the TOBB Union Center were Hasina, Dinçer and Hisarcıklıoğlu as well as the president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) Ak Azad and businessmen from both countries.

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu recalled that they had signed the agreement forming the Turkish-Bangladeshi Business Council on May 9th, 2011, “We have established a very important cooperation mechanism between the business worlds of the two countries with the establishment of the business council and we’ve started work quickly. Prime Minister Hasina is supportive of our bilateral relations in all fields and provides morale and strength to us. Especially in the recent years, our economic relations have been developing rapidly. That the Prime Minister is here with us today is the biggest indication of her support. I, on behalf of the Turkish private sector, would like to thank her for her support and for being here with us today.”

Thanking the National Education Minister Ömer Dinçer for providing services to open the way for Turkey, Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed his gratification for coming together with the Business Council President and Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry Azad.

- Bangladesh’s support during the Turkish War of Independence

Stating that Bangladesh will always have a special place in the heart of the Turkish nation, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We are an emotional people. We have never forgotten the support of the Bangladeshi nation during our National War of Independence and we will never forget it either. We were going through a difficult and vital period, involved in a great war. In that time, our Bangladeshi brothers –in difficult times themselves- put aside their own troubles. Thanks be to Allah for all they’ve done. Turkey has left very difficult days behind it. Today, we’ve become the richest and strongest of the region once again. Today, Turkey is the world’s 17th and Europe’s 6th largest economy.

- Turkey world brand

Stating that Turkey has become a world brand in all sectors with its strong economy, the TOBB President said that Turkey is the strongest industrial country between China and Italy. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that every 3 of 4 home appliances sold in Europe are Turkish products and went on, “Today, Turkey is the second country after the USA to produce 13 different brands of car in a single country. We are producing our own satellites and developing our own unmanned aircraft. We are exporting 135 billion Dollars a year. 92% of our exports are industrial goods and 60% of this is marketed to high quality demanding markets of the world, Europe and North America. We have the world’s second largest land transportation fleet.

We are right behind China in construction. Turkey is one of the world’s 7 most preferred tourist destinations. We host 31 million tourists yearly in our facilities above the world standards. The sun rises once again in the East. As the West makes no headway, dominance in production and commerce has started to shift to Asia.”

- Bureaucratic obstructions slowing us down

Touching on bureaucratic obstructions, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Especially bureaucratic obstructions are slowing us down. While we could be running, we are forced to walk. The entrepreneur wishes to move rapidly. Too much bureaucracy means the entrepreneur will give up. We must decrease bureaucracy. Lessening bureaucracy lies at the core of Turkey’s great leap forward during the last 10 years. Excessive bureaucracy means strong control and supervision. Don’t forget all investments made to Bangladesh mean employment for the people of Bangladesh. It means the increase of exports, income and prosperity. This means that every investment means the development, growth and prosperity of Bangladesh.”

- Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina

Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina stated in her speech that as Turkey is classified among developing countries they could use this to their advantage on international platforms such as the EU.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Hasina stated that Turkey and Bangladesh have been working shoulder to shoulder in bilateral relations since 1971.

Stating that the business relations between Turkey and Bangladesh, a democratic and secular country, are progressing rapidly, Hasina said that Bangladesh has grown by 6.7% in the last year despite the global economic crisis and that they are aiming for 7% growth this year.

Hasina reported that they are projecting an average of 8% growth between 2011 and 2015 and provided information regarding the Bangladesh economy and investment opportunities.

- We are very pleased with this visit

National Education Minister Ömer Dinçer said, “When we speak with them it’s not just in terms of language. We need to strengthen the feeling of love between the two nations through financial, social and political means. In this regard the Prime Minister Hasina acting superbly in order to strengthen these relations. From this point on, it is the job of the two countries’ businessmen.”

- Let’s trade more between us

Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Ak Azad stated that exports with Turkey are 724 million Dollars, imports are 137 million Dollars and that this is too low.

Providing information regarding Bangladesh’s import and export products, Azad urged that more trade is conducted between the two countries.
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