Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The Turkish-Romanian Business Forum was held in Istanbul. Attending the Forum in addition to the TOBB and DEİK President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu were the Romanian President Traian Basescu, Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı, Romanian Minister of Economy Commerce and Business Environments Ion Ariton and Turkish-Romanian Business Council President Fatih Karamancı.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, speaking at the opening of the Forum, stated that they, as two Black Sea and Balkans friend countries, wish to turn the region into a zone of stability, saying, “In this regard, we wish to utilize the opportunities offered by the region and our neighbor Romania.” Stating that we have no choice but to improve and diversify commercial relations between the two countries, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We wish to foster a strong and diversified partnership based on cooperation with the rising power of the Southeastern Europe, Romania.”

- Cooperation in the field of logistics

Emphasizing that cooperation in a series of fields needs to be achieved, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Especially the strengthening of the cooperation between our countries is crucial. In this regard, I view the start of the Pendik-Köstence Ro-Ro Line last week as a timely event. This line, able to carry 30,000 vehicles per year, will provide us with a significant costs advantage, opening the way for more trade between our two countries. Also, we know that there is a very large water transportation potential. On this subject, the partnerships that can be formed throughout the Danube basin would provide significant advantages to our country. I would also like to underline the importance of enacting projects aiming to negate the damaging effects of the pollution of the Danube is having on the Black Sea once more. Turkey has become an important economic power in its region. With improvements to its logistics infrastructure Turkey will also be Romania’s gateway to Central Asia and the Middle East. I would like to state as witnessed by that we can ensure new partnerships for us and Romania in these region which we have strong economic and political ties.”

- Cooperation in the field of energy

Stating that another important field of cooperation is energy investments, TOBB and DEİK President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “As two industrial countries dependent on foreign energy resources we must speed up our joint projects to ensure our ability to provide energy. We must act more swiftly for our most important resource diversification project, the Nabucco Pipeline Project. Hisarcıklıoğlu also pointed out the wind, solar and tidal energy potential in the Black Sea to Turkish and Romanian businessmen.

- Cooperation in the field of finance

A third field of cooperation to be improved is financial interaction, stated Hisarcıklıoğlu and said, “Istanbul is a city where entrepreneurial spirit flourishes. Istanbul, becoming one of the global financial centers, is ready to consolidate the exchanges of the region under its roof. We believe that a consolidation like the one between the Frankfurt and New York Exchanges is possible among the Balkan exchanges. This would deepen and increase the interactivity of financial relations.”

- “Romania’s enterprises are exciting”

Stating that they find the enterprises of Romania exciting, Hisarcıklıoğlu said “Romania is an honorable member of the international community as a member of NATO and the EU and demands attention with its economic success. Drawing in 62 billion dollars’ global capital in the last 10 years, Romania is taking part in important enterprises in the increase of exports.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that both countries have gained significant ground with the implementation of the Customs Union, saying, “How fortunate it is that Romania is our biggest trade partner in the Balkans. Turkey has become Romania fourth largest exports market. Turkish contractors have completed 166 projects totaling a worth of 6.1 billion dollars in Romania. We have excelled in investment relations. Approximately 6,000 Turkish companies and 15,000 Turkish businessmen are operating in Romania. Turkish investments in Romania have reached 5.5 billion dollars. Inversely, 121 Romanian companies are operating in Turkey.”

- Problems facing Turkish businessmen in Romania

Touching on the problems facing Turkish businessmen in Romania, Hisarcıklıoğlu requested that customs procedures be hastened in order to eliminate time waste and financial loss.

Also drawing attention to the problems faced in transportation, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The bureaucratic obstacles and transit pass quotas issues regarding the transportation of goods picked up from Romania by Turkish vehicles to third countries need to be addressed.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the decision to limit visas and work permits to one year for Turkish businessmen is detrimental to business and investments to Romania. TOBB and DEİK President Hisarcıklıoğlu requested that these permits be increased to five years.

Thanking Romania for its full support for Turkey’s EU accession process, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “However much we may object to the views of some European leaders regarding Turkey, we believe that Turkey and dynamic Turkish entrepreneurs will make important contributions to the EU economies.”

- Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı

Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı, speaking at the Turkish-Romanian Business Council, said “Our companies need to be relieved of the fees and procedures enacted in Romanian customs. It would be suitable for the amelioration of the transit of goods exported from Turkey through Romania.”

Yazıcı stated that the current flawless flow of bilateral relations with Romania is very gratifying.

- Sectors suitable for investing in Romania

Stating that one of the promising cooperation areas with Romania is the field of energy, Yazıcı said, “While the NABUCCO forms an important aspect of cooperation, there are many projects which could be enacted in bilateral relations.”

Yazıcı, stating that the young and dynamic populations of Turkey and Romania hold many advantages, said “With similarities like this, our countries will bring much developed relation networks and increased trade volume between our countries into reality.”

- Romanian President Traian Basescu

The Romanian President Traian Basescu, in his speech, said referring to the strategic partnership agreement signed between the two countries the day before, “We must turn this strategic partnership into an action plan. This plan of action needs to allow businessmen to work on the same frequency as the political will.”

Basescu, speaking at the Turkish-Romanian Business Forum hosted by TOBB and DEİK, stated that there was twice as much interest in the business forum in comparison with the last one.

- “Bliateral relations should be developed”

Stating that foreign country banks’ withdrawing their capital in Romania is very large risk, Basescu said that they were doing everything in their power to stabilize said capital, with the second large risk being the regression of the export volume.

Basescu said, “I urge you, let us improve our bilateral relations and trade. If we develop trade between us both countries can be saved, the figures of both countries can be balanced. The communities of businessmen need to be closer.”

- The VAT problem

Stating that the problem with VAT being that the vegetables entering the country in TIRs are sold the next day with the government unable to benefit from VAT, Basescu said that they faced problems in this regard not just in fruits and vegetables but other issues as well.

Basescu stated that they would enact the strategic partnership agreement signed with President Gül in a short time.

Regarding his meeting with the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Basescu said, “I would like to extend my thanks to him for accepting me so soon after his surgery.”
​