On Wednesday, April 14, the American-Turkish Council (ATC) met with Turkey’s top business association, the Turkish Industry & Business Association (TÜSİAD) in Washington, DC. ATC Chairman General Jones, President Howard Beasey, and representatives from 11 ATC member companies met with the TÜSİAD Board of Directors to reiterate a shared commitment to cementing the U.S.-Turkey relationship through trade, and raise issues of concern regarding Turkey’s business ecosystem.
Attendees addressed security issues, a desire to further develop Turkey’s Southeastern region, tension with trade partners such as Russia, and the need to reemphasize reforms and reignite the EU accession process. The U.S.-Turkey relationship was also discussed, and both organizations agreed that the business community must leverage its collective voice in service of bilateral trade.
The ATC and TÜSİAD agreed to continue their discussions about the possible ways to elevate the U.S.-Turkey business community’s voice through collaboration.