WASHINGTON, D.C. - From September 21-24, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-Turkey Business Council and the Istanbul-based Turkey-U.S. Business Council (TAIK) hosted the 38th annual American-Turkish Conference, a virtual event featuring high-level government officials and business leaders from both nations in support of a swift economic recovery from the COVID-19 international health crisis.
For the very first time, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce co-hosted this historic gathering together with TAIK, following the integration of the American-Turkish Council into the Chamber’s U.S.-Turkey Business Council in September 2019.
The conference focused on key business sectors that will support the post-pandemic recovery of the American and Turkish economies while also contributing to the $100 billion bilateral trade goal set by Presidents Erdoğan and Trump in 2019.
“The relationship between NATO allies Turkey and the United States sits at an important crossroads. Businesses see the long-term value in strategic commercial cooperation and want to steer our counties closer together toward greater prosperity,” said Myron Brilliant, Executive Vice President and Head of International Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ, Chairman of TAIK noted, “the conference once again served as a common platform for leaders from both nations. From defense to construction, digital economy to energy and sustainability, numerous industries were discussed as being integral to both nations’ swift financial recovery. Government officials and business community leaders helped demonstrate that our bilateral relationship is robust and there are sectors ripe for even greater collaboration. We look forward to continuing these discussions with our American counterparts.”
“I would like to congratulate and thank the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Turkey-U.S. Business Council for organizing this virtual conference under very challenging circumstances,” said Douglas Parks, CEO of DowAksa, the leading corporate supporter of the American-Turkish Conference. “The conference enabled productive discussions and helped the collaborative business dialogue around the common trade and investment goals of the U.S. and Turkey at this critical time. DowAksa was proud to be the diamond sponsor for the 38th American-Turkish Conference and we will continue to support the efforts to advance trade and investment between the two countries.”
The 38th annual conference would not have been possible without the support of several major Turkish corporations, including DowAksa, which served as the event’s sole Diamond sponsor. Sabanci, Calik, Borusan, Kalyon, Kibar, Koc and Turkish Aerospace also backed this year’s virtual event as Platinum.sponors, while Turkcell, Turk Telekom, Feka Construction and Proctor and Gamble supported the event at the Gold level. Citi, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, PepsiCo, Cheniere and Boeing were among the American companies that also supported the event.
About TAIK
The Turkey-U.S. Business Council (TAİK) is Turkey’s oldest business council. Established in 1985, TAİK’s mission is to enhance trade and investment relations between Turkey and the United States. TAİK operates under the umbrella of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK).
About the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization representing companies of all sizes across every sector of the economy. Our members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations. They all share one thing: They count on the U.S. Chamber to be their voice in Washington, across the country, and around the world. For more than 100 years, we have advocated for pro-business policies that help businesses create jobs and grow our economy.
