From November 9th to the 22nd, ATC President Howard Beasey traveled to Turkey to attend the G-20 Summit in Antalya, the 7th Atlantic Council Energy and Economic Summit in Istanbul, and Turkey Defence Week in Ankara. Beasey also met with officials of the Turkish government, and engaged with current and prospective ATC members. Beasey highlighted his confidence in the ATC’s future, noting the organization’s enthusiasm in continuing to develop the close relationships it has maintained in the past while establishing new partnerships in service of stronger U.S.-Turkey ties.

Beasey first traveled to Ankara to meet with the former Minister of Economy, Nihat Zeybekci; CEO of Gama Holding, Hakan Ozmen; Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy; and current ATC members Pratt & Whitney and GAMA. From Ankara, Beasey flew to Antalya for the G-20 Summit and used the opportunity to connect with leaders in commerce and trade. The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), a strong supporter of the ATC, was president of the B20 and used the opportunity to emphasize the three Is: Inclusiveness, Implementation, and Investment as a framework for addressing major issues confronting the global economy. For three days, Beasey interacted with the Turkish business community and established deeper ties with companies like Vermeer and CAT, while holding small meetings with individuals including ISPAT President Arda Ermut, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek, former Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, President Erdoğan, and Prime Minister Davutoğlu.

Following the G-20, Beasey departed for Istanbul where he met with ATC members Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Turkcell, Sabanci Holding, and Ketenci & Ketenci. The latter half of the week was spent at the Atlantic Council Energy Summit in Istanbul, where ATC Chairman General Jones was a featured panelist. The Summit provided the ATC with ample opportunity to liaise with companies and individuals invested to the U.S.-Turkey bilateral relationship in preparation for upcoming ATC programs and initiatives.

In addition to meetings with current and prospective ATC member companies, Beasey sat down with organizations invested in the U.S.-Turkey commercial partnership, including the board of directors of the Turkish American Business Association (TABA), the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), the Turkish-U.S. Business Council (TAIK), and TOBB.

“The trip provided a tremendous opportunity to network with the Turkish business sector, government officials, and ATC members on issues of importance to them in 2016, and also to meet companies from a number of promising sectors,” noted Beasey. The trip represented the ATC’s commitment to reinforcing the U.S.-Turkey partnership at a crucial time and generated optimism for the advancement of mutual interests.