A networking meeting, at which the INVEST brand created by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) within its own structure was also introduced, was held with the participation of 150 foreign investors from 11 countries and more than 300 MÜSİAD members.
The Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) announced, with a networking meeting, its brand that will lead and guide new foreign investments together with the MÜSİAD INVEST formation. At the programme, which took place with the opening speeches of MÜSİAD Vice President Abdurrahman Uzun, Director General for International Agreements and the European Union of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye Hüsnü Dilemre, IBF Vice Chairman Gazi Mısırlı and MÜSİAD INVEST President Serhat Kısakürek, the investment instruments of MÜSİAD INVEST and the network it possesses were introduced. B2B and networking meetings were held at the programme, which was attended by 150 foreign investors from 11 countries and more than 300 MÜSİAD members.
In his opening speech, MÜSİAD Vice President Abdurrahman Uzun touched upon the fact that Türkiye is an important investment centre owing to its strategic location and said: “With its political stability, strategic location, market size, strong industry and diversity of production and raw materials; with its qualified young population, advantageous investment incentives and dynamic structure, Türkiye is an attractive investment centre in the international arena.”
MÜSİAD's Global Experience Has Been Combined with Türkiye's Investment Opportunities
In his speech, MÜSİAD Vice President Abdurrahman Uzun touched upon MÜSİAD's experience and global network:
“MÜSİAD's global experience is now being transformed, together with Türkiye's investment opportunities, into an even stronger and more strategic structure. Within the framework of the responsibility arising from its mission, MÜSİAD has launched the “MÜSİAD International Investment and Support Office” (MÜSİAD INVEST) in order to contribute to Türkiye's international investment climate.
MÜSİAD INVEST has begun its work with the fundamental aim of encouraging international business people to invest in Türkiye and of providing quality and reliable guidance services to this end, and within this scope its first programme today brings together foreign investors coming from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Yemen, Algeria, Libya, Lebanon, Sudan, Iraq, Syria and Palestine with MÜSİAD members,” he said.
IBF Vice Chairman Gazi Mısırlı, for his part, said in his speech that by acting together the MÜSİAD and IBF formations have led Türkiye to come to the fore in the global market and to shape its investment areas correctly. Mısırlı said: “With its attractive investment centres and rising business potential, Türkiye possesses significant power. It continues to attract investment from the Gulf and other regions. We find the MÜSİAD INVEST formation very valuable in ensuring that this steadily increases. We hope that MÜSİAD, with its 33 years of experience, will add great value to Türkiye through the INVEST formation as well.”
MÜSİAD INVEST President Serhat Kısakürek, for his part, explained the aims of the MÜSİAD INVEST formation to the investors and MÜSİAD members and said that our real work is to contribute to Türkiye's commercial and economic development.
Kısakürek continued his remarks as follows:
“With its dynamic and robust economy, Türkiye offers investor-friendly policies and a broad talent pool as well as access to global markets in order to attract international direct investment. With its geostrategic location, production capability, young and dynamic population and advanced logistics infrastructure, Türkiye has become a regional power centre in which the production activities of multinational companies are supported by R&D centres, design teams, purchasing offices, logistics bases and regional management centres.
In this direction, we as MÜSİAD INVEST also continue our activities without interruption in order to contribute to this climate of Türkiye.”
“All Together We Must Have Joint Projects and Policies”
Delivering his speech and making a presentation at the MÜSİAD INVEST International Networking Programme, Director General for International Agreements and the European Union of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye Hüsnü Dilemre expressed that the private sector and the public sector must have joint projects and policies in order to be able to use investment instruments.
Dilemre, who made a presentation on the trade volume and investment opportunities between Türkiye and the MENA Region, said: if we accept Türkiye and MENA as a single large bloc, we see a bloc that carries out USD 3.5 trillion of foreign trade and takes a 7 percent share of global trade. Although this figure shows that we have an important position in the world, we think that it is possible to go much further.”
Dilemre continued his speech as follows:
“Türkiye has entered a rapid development process in recent years. We see that the populations of the North African countries, which are our neighbours, are also increasing and that their economic indicators are following a positive course. We also see that the countries in the Gulf Region, likewise our neighbours, are rapidly taking steps that will diversify their economies.
In the MENA region, which holds half of the world's hydrocarbon reserves and possesses an important human resource with its population of 500 million, approximately 300 million people will enter the labour market by 2050 according to current demographic projections. This represents an enormous production potential for the economies of the region. We think that we can carry out many joint efforts with the MENA countries in areas that are complementary between Türkiye and them, and that we can obtain mutual benefit from these efforts.
At present the GDP of the MENA region is around USD 4.5 trillion, and when we add Türkiye this figure reaches USD 5.5 trillion. By using natural resources correctly and also benefiting from the increase in human capital in our countries, it is within the realm of possibility for us to transform our region into the world's foremost production and services centre and to carry these figures much further. We know one another. We know that the investment relations between us have to date created positive processes in both directions. Turkish investors have contributed to the production power of the region with direct foreign investments worth USD 8 billion in North Africa. Our ultimate goal is to develop close economic and commercial relations with the MENA countries and to increase our share in the world economy within the framework of our common interests. In this context, we attach great importance to meetings that bring us together, such as the "Türkiye-GCC Economy Forum" and the “Türkiye-Africa Economy and Business Forum”, as well as this event organized today by our esteemed MÜSİAD.”
