Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Stating his observation that for the first time he has gauged a positive atmosphere for furthering economic relations during his visit in Washington D.C., Hisarcıklıoğlu noted the importance of the mission and responsibility of Turkish businessmen in New York, where the global economic heart beats.

Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu gave a speech during the dinner invitation in Serra Mediterranean Bistro by the Turkish American Chambers of Commerce and Industry (TACCI). Also attending the dinner were the Permanent Representative of Turkey to the United Nations Ertuğrul Apakan, Consul General of New York Mehmet Samsar and TACCI President Celal Seçilmiş and TACCI board of directors and members.

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that world’s economic heart beat in New York; money is shaped and circulated there. For this reason, he stated, the mission and responsibility of Turkish businessmen in New York is greater than the citizens working in other parts of the world and Turkey.

Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized the importance that the Turkish population and businessmen in New York be economically strong and that he was ready to do his part to ensure this; “We are as strong in Turkey as you are here. My wish of you is that we do not discriminate against each other as we are only as strong as the bonds that bring us together. If you are successful then we are successful and proud of your success.

Pointing out that economic relations between Turkey and the USA were far behind political and military relations, Hisarcıklıoğlu, “We have no choice but to strengthen these relations, we have to do this because we are not present in the world’s largest market.”

Relating that in his meeting with the World Bank Vice-President in Washington D.C., when Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that he’d come to the USA to further economic relations between Turkey and the USA, the high-ranked official expressed his surprise saying, “But you turn up everywhere we go”, Hisarcıklıoğlu went on, “We want to get in the USA market, you will broaden our horizons here, you will be beneficial to us and beat a path for us.”

Reminding that Turkey’s total export in 1980 were 3 billion dollars with agricultural produce making up 90% of this number, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that, today, this number has reached 132 billion dollars with industrial goods making up 92%. Saying that Turkey sells these products to the European market and that they are of the highest quality with no problem competing in regards to prices Hisarcıklıoğlu went on to say that the late President of the Republic Turgut Özal had made this possible.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, “We do not have oil or gas but, praise be to Allah, we have been granted an extraordinary enterprising spirit, and we discovered this 30 years ago. There’s nowhere Turkish businessmen do not go. This was a matter of vision. Today we market more than 20,000 products to more than 200 countries in the world with 15% of our exports in high-tech products. We could not even dream of doing these things and we have made them reality. We are the first country behind the USA to have 11 car manufacturers producing in the same country and I claim we produce the best quality cars in the world.

TOBB President stated that both Toyota and Hyundai’s CEOs reported that only Turkey has zero error in their car production.

-“We are not present where the money is circulating”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the lacking economic relations between Turkey and the USA stem from neither side being familiar with each other economically, and in this regard a great responsibility falls to the Turks in the USA, “We are not present where the money is circulating, for that reason, we have but one goal. Of course we will not forget about everywhere else but this is more important, of the utmost importance.”

To this extent, Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out the importance of empowering the Turkish society in the USA and that auctions like the New York taxi cab auction would not be lost, “You will become richer so that in turn we do, a way for Karsan must be opened, there is no alternative and you are our hope. Turkey has potential, we are the strongest country between Italy and China and we are heeded.”

Emphasizing the importance of tourism in promoting Turkey, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that Turkey presently hosts 30 million tourists each year, the seventh largest in the world and that the service quality of the hotels in Turkey are of the highest quality.

Hisarcıklıoğlu drew attention to the fact that the USA still has many states to discover in regards to doing business, encouraging Turkish businessmen to go to the central states in the US.

-“For the first time I’ve seen a positive atmosphere for strengthening economic relations in Washington D.C.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated his observation that for the first time he has gauged a positive atmosphere for furthering economic relations during his visit in the US capital. Stating that the announcement during the visits of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the USA President Barack Obama that economic relations would hold priority had generated a very positive mood in Washington. He said that both American businessmen and officials have been very interested in concrete ways of strengthening economic relations and went on, “This is important, I had not seen the like before in 10 years, everyone is bustling to help.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that during the dinner with the USA Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington along with various other countries’ representatives, they were able to provide the most tangible projects with which to strengthen economic relations between the two countries, which Clinton admired and in this regard the positive atmosphere must be taken advantage of by Turkish businessmen.

Reminding everyone that, to gather everyone under a single roof they had established the World Turkish Business Council, Hisarcıklıoğlu invited TACCI to become a member of the Council.

Hisarcıklıoğlu was presented with a plaque by TACCI President Celal Seçilmiş at the end of his speech.

- “American officials are ready for action oriented business”

Answering reporters’ questions, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said that when the economic relationship between Turkey and the USA are observed, ten years ago in Turkey’s total exports, the exports to the USA were around 10%, just a little over 3 billion dollars.

Today this number remains the same, meaning that in Turkey’s 132 billion dollar export volume, the USA market’s share has dropped significantly and that Turkey is one of the few countries whose exports to the USA have not increased. In this regard Hisarcıklıoğlu said that during the visits of Prime Minister Erdoğan and the USA President Barack Obama it was stated that economic relations would hold priority.

Hisarcıklıoğlu observed that for the first time these promises were being kept and that every official he met with in Washington moved to further economic relations between the two countries in a definitive and active manner.

Hisarcıklıoğlu spoke, “[American officials] state that they are action oriented, ready to provide support in all matters; there is opportunity now, with a political will; the bureaucracy has taken the political will’s message to heart, we must cross the threshold.”
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