Time for win-win in trade for Turkey, Portugal


Date posted: February 4, 2013

ERGIN HAVA, İSTANBUL

Amid global economic volatilities, Turkish and Portuguese companies must begin establishing partnerships in fast-growing markets in which each has wide experience before they lose more time missing opportunities in this area, a Portuguese business union head has told Today’s Zaman.

Francisco Mantero, the vice president of the board for the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries’ (CPLP) Business Confederation, met with officials from the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) in İstanbul last week to discuss how companies from Turkey and Portugal could benefit from each other’s business experience and their traditional markets.

Also the head of the Portuguese Association for Economic Development and Cooperation (ELO), Mantero says they expect to offer advice to Turkish firms seeking to invest in Portuguese-speaking countries — namely, Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor — while also receiving support from Turkish officials to help Portuguese firms branch out into Central Asian markets or Turkic republics.

“We know that Turkey looks to boost its presence particularly in African markets while Portuguese firms are keen to diversify their exports. There are vast opportunities that each country can help the other benefit in this regard,” he explained. Mantero said different firms, including German and Nordic firms, for instance, looked to share their know-how with Portugal when entering CPLP markets and their respective economic communities. Mantero said that infrastructure, agriculture, renewable energy and water distribution are the key areas of investment in CPLP member states.

Noting that there are no Turkish-owned businesses established in Portugal, he said: “We would like to first break the ice, the psychological barrier here. Turkish firms should realize the importance of Portugal-based firms in CPLP countries and benefit from their experience.” “Africa has a critical place here and an International Monetary Fund [IMF] report shows seven of the 10 fastest growing economies in the next five years will be in Africa. Chinese, American, Japanese and Indian firms are becoming influential in Africa and Portuguese and Turkish firms can compete with these giants through joint ventures,” Mantero argued.

“On the other hand, 80 percent of Portuguese exports are sent to Europe and we look forward to diversifying our export markets. Turkey can help by guiding us in markets such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia and Azerbaijan,” he added.

Turkey has increased its mutual trade with Africa fivefold in a decade to nearly $30 billion in 2012 and aspires to boost this figure to $50 billion by 2015.

Source: Today’s Zaman 4 February 2013


Related News

Auto companies from 27 countries join TUSKON summit

Representatives of automotive manufacturing companies from 27 countries were in the city of Konya on Tuesday to participate in a trade and investment summit organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON).

TUSKON chairman to Erdoğan: To make fortune, join business world

In a response to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call to Hizmet movement to form a political party, the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) chairman Rıza Nur Meral called Erdoğan to quit politics and join the business world to make money.

Turkish schools help to enhance trade relations with Africa

  BURSA African businessmen and ambassadors stress that they have developed trade relations with Turkey thanks to Turkish schools acting as bridges in their countries, although the ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) government is planning to shut down Turkish schools abroad that are affiliated with the movement of Islamic Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen. Speaking […]

TUSKON encourages mutual Russian-Turkish investment

Turkish entrepreneurs presently hold $13 billion of investments in Russia, said Meral, who said that his organization has organized business trips and other events to increase this number.

Koza Altın latest victim of government silencing political dissent

Gold mining company Koza Altın A.Ş., the owner of Bugün daily and Kanal Türk TV station, had its activities halted on Tuesday in Çukuralan goldfield, one of the company’s five major gold mines, in a move that has been perceived as the most recent example of the government’s exploitation of inspections and red tape to put pressure on those with critical views.

Turkish business suffers under Erdogan’s post-coup Gulen purge

Critics of the ruling AKP expect it to sell Gulen-linked companies to government allies in the business world at a large discount. In mid-October the AKP-linked Metro Holding applied to the TMSF to acquire all of Koza Ipek Holding’s shares. Akin Ipek, the fugitive former owner of the conglomerate, asked on Twitter how Koza Ipek’s $600 million in cash and $20 billion in mining assets could be acquired by a comparatively unimpressive entity. Metro Holding’s capital comes to just over $95 million.

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

Friendship Dinner hosted by Pacific Dialogue Foundation in Philippines

‘Turkish schools in Nigeria are not owned by government of Turkey’

The Turkish invasion of Nigeria

Autistic children left unattended as teacher parents under arrest over alleged coup links

Watch out! Anatolian Tigers on the prowl

New Book – “Beginnings and Endings: Fethullah Gülen’s Vision for Today’s World”

Turkey Assails a Revered Islamic Moderate

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News