Hisarcıklıoğlu, during the reception, related his observations that US President Barack Obama’s “new partnership model” while referring to Turkish-American relations had spread to all facets of the American atmosphere, “When we visited the US Ministries of State and Defense, we receive suggestions on how to further our economic relations. I have been visiting the US for 10 years and this sort of approach was not present before.”
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the political and military relations between Turkey and the USA are not reflected on economic relations and that the US and Turkey’s economic relation is one of the weakest Turkey has with any country.
While Turkey’s exports have been increasing with all countries for the last 5 years, those with the US have decreased, spoke Hisarcıklıoğlu, and the only reason for it is that the businessmen and people of the two countries are not familiar with each other. “I look for a fault with myself, with us. Both sides lack proper knowledge.”
Reminding the businessmen about the World Turkish Business Council, Hisarcıklıoğlu invited the Turkish businessmen in the US to join it.
ATAA President Günay Evinch thanked Hisarcıklıoğlu for his leadership in the private sector and stated that they would be proud to form a bridge between the US and Turkey. After their speeches, ATAA President Evinch and FTAA President Kaya Boztepe presented Hisarcıklıoğlu with a plaque.
- Hisarcıklıoğlu answered reporters’ questions
Hisarcıklıoğlu, answering reporters’ questions during the reception saying that, having attended “Partners for a New Beginning (PNB)” summit, they will work together with Harvard University in order to pair up the fastest growing 25 companies in Turkey with their American counterparts in order to produce joint projects.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also attended the summit dinner, as well as the US President Barack Obama’s wish to attend the Entrepreneurship Summit to be held this year in Turkey; when asked about his talks in the USA Ministry of Defense (Pentagon), he stated that there were no talks of weapons trade, only economic relations.
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out the need for Turkey to take a greater role in the US market in order to become one of the top 10 economies in the world, saying; “We need certain mechanisms to be in this market. Chief among these is for American companies to become familiar with doing business with Turkish companies, another being the introduction of the risk capital to the financial system in order to support high-tech R&D.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that for Turkey to reach a high-tech production capability, the USA is “a spring board”, “We need to bring this cooperation and finance to Turkey. When you look at Israel it is evident that this is what underlies the success of Israel’s high-tech companies; it stems from the same cooperation, there is no reason that should not happen with us.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed his happiness at the fact that President Obama’s “new partnership model” has been absorbed wholly by the institution, “Especially when we visited the Ministries of State and Defense we were presented with practical suggestions on how to further our economic relations. I’ve been visiting the US for 10 years and this is the first time I’ve encountered such reaction. This gives me hope.”
Answering a question, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that it had been said to him that Turkey was “a success story in entrepreneurship and that this should be a model for Middle-Eastern countries to follow”, he stated that without the development of an enterprising middle class, democracy is not possible.
Relating that in his meetings with the World Bank he was told by high-ranking officials that they encounter Turks everywhere they did business but whom were surprised when he stated that Turkey actually has very little trade with the USA, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that a newer, stronger relationship with the USA would be helped along by politicians and bureaucrats.
- Hisarcıklıoğlu’s Washington Contacts
Hisarcıklıoğlu attended a dinner hosted by the US Secretary of State Clinton and a White House National Security Council during his visit for the “Partners for a New Beginning” summit.
During his time in Washington, Hisarcıklıoğlu met with US House of Representatives members Dan Burton, James Sensenbrenner, Dana Rohrabacher and Brad Miller; US Ministry of Defense and NATO policy Deputy Undersecretary James Townsend and US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Jose Fernandez; US Chamber of Commerce, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank; Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In Hisarcıklıoğlu’s contacts, focus was on ways to develop economic relations between Turkey and the USA, as well as steps taken as part of the USA’s “Partners for a New Beginning” initiative to increase economic ties with the Muslim world.
