African firms signal increased trade at TUSKON meeting


Date posted: February 12, 2014

İSTANBUL

Businesses from East Africa are expecting to boost trade and investment partnerships with Turkey, company representatives told a summit held by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) in Gaziantep.

A total of 127 companies from 11 different countries in East Africa are participating in the Gaziantep summit, which started on Feb. 9 and will run until Feb. 12.

The Turkish and African businesspeople held roughly 5,000 bilateral business meetings. TUSKON has intensified efforts to help more Turkish firms branch out into promising African markets over the past five years. Turkey sells goods worth $813 million to East Africa per year, while imports from the region to Turkey amount to $160 million annually, according to 2013 figures. Turkish firms are keen to capitalize on increasing demand from the 350 million-strong population of the region, while African firms benefit from Turkey’s position as a bridge to surrounding markets.

The event’s official opening was held on Tuesday. Speaking at the opening ceremony, TUSKON Chairman Rızanur Meral said the confederation placed great importance on cooperation with African markets. “We are trying our best to introduce our companies to a flourishing African continent, helping them share expertise with their African partners,” he said.

State representatives from Uganda, Rwanda, Djibouti and Kenya also called on Turkish companies to enhance cooperation with East Africa and invest more in the region, which has a gross domestic product (GDP) of $350 billion.

“We will stay out of domestic political discussions and exert our energies on our primary job which is to work even harder to expand the Turkish presence in global markets,” TUSKON Secretary General Mustafa Günay told the event on Tuesday.

TUSKON has been promoting the improvement of Turkey’s trade ties with Africa and has already conducted a series of meetings to boost commercial relations with African countries. It is thanks to these efforts that Turkish firms have enjoyed considerable success in Africa.

Source: Todays Zaman , February 11, 2014


Related News

Anti-Hizmet plot no more innocent than practices of coup periods

Since the launch of the major corruption operation on Dec. 17, 2013, more than 20,000 police officers, bureaucrats, judges and prosecutors have been reassigned for no official reason other than their suspected links to the Hizmet movement.

Erdoğan’s personal propaganda tool, the MGK

Erdoğan has asserted that the Gülen movement is to be included in the Red Book as a “prioritized threat.” But never mind the fact that he acts and speaks as though this has all been decided upon already. The fact is, he does not have the proper authority to do this. What’s more, there is absolutely no document or piece of information that would support such a move.

Turkish Airlines stops distribution of Zaman and Today’s Zaman on its planes

Turkey’s flagship carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) has put an embargo on dailies affiliated with the Fethullah Gülen Movement, which has been in at odds with the government over an ongoing corruption investigation. The airline, 74 percent of which is owned by the state, had already stopped delivering the English-language daily Today’s Zaman in airport terminals and on planes before slashing the distribution of its Turkish sibling, daily Zaman, by two-thirds.

Two women detained during visit to jailed husbands

Two women, identified as H.T. and S.S., were detained when they went through security check before visiting their imprisoned husbands at a prison in Turkey’s Edirne province.

The irrationality of demanding Turkish schools abroad be shut down

Since last year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been constantly “advising” his foreign counterparts to shut down the Hizmet schools in their countries.

Corruption or spies?

It is crystal clear that Erdoğan will use his majestic media and state power to continue his psychological war campaign to dodge questions about alleged corruption cases related to some of his ministers, very close friends and even relatives.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Reuben Abati: Let’s Talk Turkey About Turkey

Attempting to discredit Gülen by linking him to Israel

Gülen’s defense against Erdoğan’s onslaught

Erdogan Budgets $150m To Displace Hizmet Schools In Africa

Cabinet ruling against non-profit charity Kimse Yok Mu condemned

Turkish school in Romania moves to new building

Truth and reconciliation in post-Erdoğan era

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News