Turkish, US investors gather at 'Türkiye Century Investment Reception' in Washington

By Rabia İclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - A group of Turkish and American investors gathered in Washington, D.C. on Thursday at a reception marking the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic.

The event, titled “Türkiye: Your Resilient Investment Partner,” part of a series of such receptions held in world capitals, was co-organized by the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., the Investment Office of the Presidency of Türkiye and AmCham Türkiye.

During the event at the Turkish ambassador’s residence in the US capital, speakers discussed economic relations and trade opportunities between the US and Türkiye.

Among the speakers were Turkish ambassador to the US Murat Mercan, Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Vice President Bekir Polat, Deputy Chair of AmCham Türkiye Canan Ozsoy, Sean Mulvaney, Senior Director, Global Government Relations and Public Policy at Procter & Gamble, and Arun Venkataraman, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets.

Ambassador Mercan said Türkiye and the US have “good targets” in terms of trade and business relations while also stressing the need to remove obstacles to business in both countries.

“Both the embassy and also our investment office as well as our trade representatives are very eager to help American companies do business,” he continued.

Mercan also noted the need for defense cooperation between the two countries.

“We are working very hard to increase defense cooperation between the two countries, which is not only beneficial to the businesses respectively but also to global security,” he said.

Venkataraman said the trade relationship between Türkiye and the US “has flourished.”

“We at the Department of Commerce are committed to doubling down on this engagement with Türkiye and the broader European and Eurasian region,” he said. “And in this respect, I am most pleased to announce that we are bringing Trade Winds to Istanbul, Türkiye in May 2024.”

Trade Winds 2024 is a key commercial event of the US government.

In his speech, Polat invited American investors to invest in Türkiye to “become a part of Türkiye’s century.”

“We attach utmost importance to the US as a major source of foreign direct investment for Türkiye,” he said.

Ozsoy said that AmCham’s board members have attended 50 meetings since they arrived in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

“It has been a marathon, but one that we have been able to convey our messages,” she said.

“Our message was focused on the bilateral trade volume that has exceeded almost $35 billion with healthy 22% year-over-year growth,” she added.

Mulvaney described the Turkish economy as a “very resilient partner.”

“We have 83 suppliers in Türkiye that we have taken into P&G’s global value chains as trusted, reliable partners, and it's been a fantastic relationship that has strengthened P&G globally,” he said.