Turkish Trade Delegation Visits Four States

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Muhtar Kent with Cemil Ozyurt, TURKOFAMERICA's editor-in-chief in Atlanta.
The Turkish state minister for foreign trade defined the aim of his visit to the United States as an opportunity to discuss investments in Turkey. "The aim of this visit was also to raise U.S. awareness about Turkey," Turkey's State Minister Zafer Caglayan told. Caglayan said he visited four states and held important meetings, particularly with the executives of leading U.S. companies.

This was the first time a Turkish trade delegation headed by a minister visited the four states in USA.  Caglayan said his visit was a part of Turkey's export strategy, and Turkey would welcome American businesspeople after they organized such visits for a few more times.

The minister said many companies would visit Turkey in coming days, and hoped that Turkey would continue to be a power in its region.  "We should increase our trade relations with the United States," Caglayan also said.

Caglayan visited California, Texas, Illinois, and Georgia, and met executives of several U.S. companies including Boeing, Kraft Foods, American International Radio, Investigroup, MacLean Power Systems, Coca Cola, Exxon, JP Morgan, General Electric Oil and Gas, AECOM, BP, Shell, ORR Textile Co. Ltd., and Shaw Energy and Chemicals Group.
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Turkish Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan, New York Consul General Mehmet Samsar and Muhtar Kent together.

COCA COLA’s CEO MUHTAR KENT

The Turkish state minister for foreign trade said on Friday that Turkey's aim was to raise its exports to United States to 32 billion USD first and then to 62 billion USD.

Turkey's State Minister Zafer Caglayan visited Coca Cola headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and said Turkey's exports to the United States were actually around 3.2 billion USD.

"We have the potential to raise our mutual trade to 100 billion USD," Caglayan said during his visit. Caglayan referred to a business council two countries would set up with participation of two ministers and 12 businessmen from each countries, and made public the first Turkish businessman to take part in the council as Coca Cola's CEO Muhtar Kent.

Also speaking in the meeting, Kent said Turkey needed a politically and economically strong United States, and the United States also needed a strong Turkey. Kent said Coca Cola had invested more than 1 billion USD and employed 2,500 people in Turkey.

"Istanbul is the head of operation group of Eurasia and Africa, and 96 countries are connected to Istanbul," Kent also said. Before the meeting, Kent introduced several U.S. businessmen to Minister Caglayan, including head of CNN International.

With net annual revenues of nearly $31 billion in 2009, the Coca Cola company is the largest nonalcoholic beverage company in the world. Consumers enjoy 1.6 billion servings a day of the company's more than 3,300 products, which include sparkling and still beverages such as waters, enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, and energy and sports drinks. (AA)
Last modified onSaturday, 06 May 2017 10:07