NORTH AMERICA BUSINESS COUNCILS AND LATIN AMERICA AND CARRIBEAN BUSINESS COUNCILS: 2023 HIGHLIGHTS AND OVERVIEW

With the aim of enhancing our ties with Latin America, we have chosen to establish a dedicated directorate overseeing a total of 12 Business Councils

On January 30, 2023, 11 ambassadors and our business representatives attended our reception in Istanbul for the Latin American leg of our regional activities. With the aim of enhancing our ties with Latin America, we have chosen to establish a dedicated directorate overseeing a total of 12 Business Councils. This includes 11 bilateral Business Councils and a specialized Business Council focusing on Central America and the Caribbean. In order to boost trade volumes with Latin America and outline strategies to reach our $50 billion target, we orchestrated the “Convergence of Distances” event.

Hosted by the Chilean Embassy in Ankara on November 9, 2023, the event brought together Business Council Presidents from countries in the region to foster collaboration and explore avenues for economic growth. As the DEİK/Türkiye-Canada Business Council, we hosted the “Innovative and Complementary Renewable Energy” webinar on January 26, 2023, with leading companies from both countries. Additionally, we organized the Canada-Türkiye Business Forum in Toronto on September 27, 2023, focusing on automotive, precious metals, and digital technologies. As the DEİK/Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAİK), we initiated Project ReBirth – Smart Living Centers to attract international investors and aid in the region’s reconstruction following the earthquake disaster on February 6 this year. In this context, we engaged with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, IFC, and the World Bank in Washington D.C.

Through the endeavours of the “Working Group for Cooperation in Third Countries” under TAİK, we have actively worked to reshape the collaboration between Türkiye and the USA. On August 2, 2023, we orchestrated a webinar, enlightening our members on the financing opportunities and fresh initiatives offered by US Exim, with a particular focus on Africa. This event facilitated direct interactions between our members and officials from US Exim. We successfully organized the 13th Türkiye Investment Conference in New York on September 19-20, 2023. In collaboration with Goldman Sachs, we convened a significant meeting between Prof. Dr Ömer Bolat, Minister of Trade, and Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of Treasury and Finance, with fund and portfolio managers from the United States. Our conference, showcasing the strength of the Turkish economy and private sector, garnered significant attention.

At the gala dinner, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan engaged in a round table discussion with prominent business figures from the USA and Fortune 100 executives, fostering valuable connections and discussions. During the event, there was a strong emphasis on Türkiye being a crucial production and service base for American companies. The commitment to achieving the ambitious goal of a 100 billion USD Türkiye-US trade volume was reiterated. At the event, a significant milestone was reached as we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the American Turkish Business Roundtable (ATBR), appointed as TAİK Washington D.C. Representative. This momentous occasion took place in the presence of our President. As part of state-level initiatives, we facilitated a gathering in October between the Greater Houston Partnership and its Turkish counterpart in Texas. With a trade volume of 6.2 billion USD, this meeting provided a platform for private-sector companies looking to expand their investments in the United States.