TURKIYE AND JAPAN

We would like to express our sympathies to those affected by the earthquake struck southern and central Türkiye this February. Member companies of Japanese Business Group in Türkiye (JBGT) are also working towards recovery from the disaster, including donation of equipment such as air-conditioners to prefabricated houses. We will continue to work together for the possible earliest recovery of the disaster-affected areas and disaster prevention and mitigation with the experience and technology of Japanese companies in Türkiye.

JBGT was formed in 2016 with the aim of improving the business environment in Türkiye and promoting trade and investment between Türkiye and Japan with 92 member companies mainly located in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. We hold meetings between JBGT companies to share information related to business and cultural activities of JBGT companies in each region. Also, we have business dialogues with the Turkish government and DEİK to strengthen our relationship in Türkiye.

On October 10th, the Türkiye-Japan Joint Economic Committee was held successfully in Izmir, the first time since the Covid-19 epidemic, and many JBGT member companies also participated. Prior to the Joint Committee, JBGT, in cooperation with DEİK, worked to strengthen the business relationship between the two countries by holding various networking events and business forums.

The action and presence of Turkish companies in the region and the technology and financial strength of Japanese companies are mutually complementary. By combining the strengths, we will be able to strengthen our business in the third countries and areas such as Ukraine, Africa and Central Asia. Negotiations have been continuing between the government of Türkiye and Japan toward the conclusion of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) for many years. The conclusion of an EPA is essential in order to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries. 2024 is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Japan.

We would like to keep working together with DEİK with the aim to contribute to further development of business activities and cooperation between two countries towards the conclusion of the EPA within next year.