Global finance summit kicks off in Istanbul

By Mucahid Eker

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Global Participation Finance Summit (GPAS) kicked off on Thursday in Istanbul bringing together at least 10,000 participants from 50 countries.

In addition, 1,000 institutional investors, 100 venture funds, and the Turkey Wealth Fund are joining the event.

The event held at Halic Congress Center is supported by the Turkish Presidency and Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency is its global communication partner.

The summit opened with a message from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan said, in a message that was read out to the audience, that the GPAS gathers entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals, who care about human values and will contribute to peace and prosperity in the world.

The theme for the summit is humanitarian finance. It will end on Friday.

More than 200 speakers will talk about humanitarian finance and its positive impact on the society.

Meanwhile Turkish business and finance bodies such as the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), Turkey’s Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MUSIAD), the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, Undersecretariat of Treasury, Turkish Union of Participation Banks (TKBB), Capital Markets Board (SPK), the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs and Council of Higher Education (YOK) are supporting the event.