THE Turkish Minister for Foreign Trade, Zafer Caglayan has disclosed that the volume of trade between Nigeria and Turkey stands at about 1 billion dollars, just as he said that there were projections for an increase in the coming years.
Speaking in Abuja while addressing a delegation of Turkish and Nigeria business men, Caglayan who called for an increase in trade relations between Nigeria and Turkey, stressed that Nigeria was the fastest growing economy in the Western part of Africa, adding that as a nation, Nigeria must harness its potentials to the fullest because of the important role it gets to play in developing the region.
The Turkish Minister who urged all the business men from his country to increase trade relations with Nigeria, stressed the need for them to permanent their businesses in the country, adding that Turkey was prepared to work with Nigeria in different sectors of the economy, including, mining, textiles, Oil and Gas, Chemistry and Food security.
via » Turkey Seeks To Improve Trade Relations with Nigeria – Vanguard (Nigeria).
Kenya’s dynamic economy and emerging middle class have attracted furniture dealers from Turkey.
Furniture by Turkey's Konfor
Under the umbrella Istanbul Exporters Association, over 250 companies will partner with leading supermarkets and furniture making companies in Kenya, in the production and distribution of home and office furniture.
“With its ideal location, vibrant economy and fast growing population, Kenya has the potential of becoming the hub that feeds markets in the East African Community,” said Tuncer Kayalar, Turkey’s ambassador to Kenya.
He said talks were ongoing with selected partners in Kenya. He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the fifth Turkish Furniture Expo held recently in Nairobi.
However, the announcement comes at a time Kenya is facing a timber shortage that has led to a government ban on logging.
The country’s forest cover currently stands at 312,500 acres according to the Kenya Forest Service, which is far below Turkey’s. A 2010 forest products for Turkey report by the United States Department of Agriculture put the country’s forest cover at 21.2 million hectares.
To partly close the timber gap, Turkey will import raw materials from home.
Kenya is spending more than $37.5 million annually on timber imports up from $62,000 in 1999, to meet rising demand that now stands at 38 million cubic metres annually.
According to the chairman of the Kenya Timber Manufacturers Association, Samuel Gitonga, the sector lacks enough raw materials to meet demand.
Turkey hopes to take part of this market and boost its furniture exports, whose value stood at $1.3 billion in 2008, $1.1 billion in 2009, and is expected to reach $1.4 billion by the end of this year, and which could rise to $1.6 billion aided by the anticipated venture into Kenya’s lucrative market.
Turkey’s overall exports to Kenya increased from $98 million in 2007 to $233 million at the end of 2008, driven largely by petroleum products. The country also exports generators, agricultural machinery, carpets, flour and pasta.
Kenya’s exports to Turkey in contrast have stagnated at $12 million, with leather and tea as the top products.
As Turkey aggressively seeks to invest in Kenya, analysts predict that the trade balance will continue to tier in favour of Turkey, unless Kenya adds value to its exports and enters into more bilateral agreements.
In October, the two countries signed deals in investment, tourism, science, agriculture and labour.
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via The East African: – Business |Turkey to partner with Kenyan firms to make, sell furniture.
Ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputy from Rize and chairman of the Turkey-Uganda Interparliamentary Friendship Group Ali Bayramoğlu has stated that Turkish and Ugandan businessmen are now ready to cooperate in three main fields and that the fourth is coming soon.
Bayramoğlu, former chairman of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD), recently attended the first meeting of the Turkish-Ugandan Joint Economic Commission organized as part of the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) Turkey-Uganda Business Forum in Kampala. Aboard his return plane to Ankara, together with Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, Bayramoğlu informed Sunday’s Zaman about the level of business cooperation between Turkey and Uganda.
Noting that business activities are ready to be launched in three main fields between the two countries, he said Turkish and Ugandan officials have also been working to cooperate in a fourth. When asked about these areas, Bayramoğlu said the priorities are textiles and food, followed by the construction sector. “And our colleagues are still working on cooperation in the field of energy,” he said.
Bayramoğlu added that agriculture and stockbreeding are two more areas the countries may cooperate in. “There are Turkish businessmen experienced in these fields who can make investments here, and Uganda needs these investments as well. There may be business cooperation in related sectors, such as the areas of meat and leather.
He adds that tourism and health are two other sectors where Turkish and Ugandan businessmen can establish contact. Stating that there are only two big hospitals in the capital city of Kampala, he says, as a country that has carried out many health reforms, Turkey can share its experience with Uganda with regard to developments in that area.
Noting that the African country has deficiencies in urban infrastructure and environment, Bayramoğlu says Turkey is also ready to cooperate with Uganda on these issues. “We have met with Ugandan Minister for Water and Environment [Maria Mutagamba]. For example, one very important issue for Uganda is the decontamination of Lake Victoria. This is a huge project, and I told the minister that it could take 50 years. But we are still working on it,” he said.
Stating that municipal services in the African country also need support, Bayramoğlu recalled that there will be general and local elections in February and he thinks municipal services would improve further if a compromise between local governors and municipalities could be reached following the elections.
Referring to an earlier comment by Arınç, who said Uganda is Turkey’s main partner in Africa, Bayramoğlu agreed that, as a country neighboring impoverished African countries, Uganda is Turkey’s leading partner in Africa.
Turkey has long ignored many parts of the world, particularly Africa. Today, Turks are rediscovering Africa, which is not too far from Turkey, and which they had established close ties with during the Ottoman period.
Despite the fact that the Gülen movement went to the continent in the mid-1990s, opening various education institutions and dialogue and culture centers across the continent, the year when Turkish foreign policy woke up to Africa was 2005. Then-Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül had declared 2005 the Year of Africa for Turkish foreign policy, as the first step in Turkey’s foreign policy initiatives. The progress made in Africa since then cannot be ignored. Although it is on the brink of taking its very first steps in many African countries, Turkey’s success, its welcome in many places across the continent and its gains are substantial.
I personally have always nurtured a special interest in Africa. So, I tend to seize every opportunity to pay a visit to the unfortunate countries of a continent that has suffered centuries of indescribable sorrow in the unrelenting grip of Western colonialism. I have visited Sudan, Tanzania, South Africa, Egypt and Algeria, some on multiple occasions. When my dear friend, Mustafa Günay, the secretary-general of the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), invited me to attend the Turkey-Uganda Business Forum in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, between Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, I saw it as an opportunity for me visit the continent again and eagerly flew to Uganda with some 50 businessmen. TUSKON establishes bridges of commerce between Turkish and African businessmen using the infrastructure laid by Turkish schools spreading the light of science in Africa and elsewhere and making Turkish presence known around the world. There is a long list of contributions TUSKON has made to the economy of Turkey as well as those of its target countries.
Since its establishment, TUSKON has added great value to our economy and Turkish foreign trade by encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which form the backbone of the Turkish economy, and paving the way for Turkish foreign trade and investors entering new markets. I am sure that we will see the foundations laid by TUSKON, the business ties it mediated, and the global business network it established pay off by producing gains that will soon increase exponentially. Indeed, this organization embodies a mentality that seeks to ensure gains not only for Turkey, but also for partner countries and their societies, and that never approves of exploitation or abuse in theory or in practice. Accordingly, this underlying principle and the win-win philosophy it adopts help TUSKON boost the business volume not only of Turkey, but also its partners. By contributing to the welfare of these countries, it puts a grateful smile on the faces of the local people. As you know, this is an attitude that African countries and their peoples rarely experience from the white race, which some call Muzungu with a mixture of respect and fear.
As Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister Bülent Arınç — who has made a habit of visiting the Turkish schools in the countries he visits and encouraging the teachers in their work– noted as he visited the Turkish Light Academy, a boarding school with some 450 students, in Kampala, Turkey is greatly indebted to these schools who provide education at great self-sacrifice, even in countries that do not have a single Turkish embassy or diplomatic representative office, and to the young Turkish volunteers and idealistic educators from Anatolia working in these schools.
As part of the African initiative that started in 2005, Turkey established its first embassies in 15 African countries. The first Turkish Ambassador to Kampala was appointed in March 2010.
As part of this initiative, Turkish Airlines (THY) launched direct flights to many African countries and cities, including Kampala. Until very recently, i.e. 2007, Turks had to fly aboard a foreign airliner from İstanbul to Germany or the UK and wait several hours there before finding another flight to Cape Town. Today, they can reach many African destinations directly from İstanbul with THY.
The truth one can discover if s/he is objective and fair is that many of Turkey’s foreign policy initiatives, including the opening of Turkish embassies in many African countries and THY’s adopting new destinations on the continent, are reliant on the infrastructure created by the Turkish schools and businessmen inspired by the Gülen movement in terms of economic, cultural, social and human potential. Indeed, when Turkish diplomats freshly appointed to these newly established embassies go to their respective countries, they find that the people make their experience and networks easily available to them. In return, the people whom these diplomats will provide service to, in most places besides a few Western countries, are no one but the sacrificial and generous Turkish businessmen and their families who had migrated because of suggestions by Mr. Fethullah Gülen, who lends all kinds of support to the Turkish volunteers and educators.
Turkey’s African initiative has a great chance of success. Why? Because the foundations of this initiative had already been laid by the Turkish volunteers long before 2005. A very solid and effective infrastructure for Turkey to improve its ties with these countries in many areas is already in place and extremely robust. Undeniably, this applies to the Pacific region, the Baltic region, Central Asia and Latin America, as well. On this road paved with pure sincerity for serving humanity as the sole goal and without abuse or exploitation, I personally believe in my heart that God will grant countless favors to Turkey and the countries to which Turks are providing services.
Uganda and Turkey have signed a bilateral trade agreement that will formalise business traffic between the two countries. The signing of the agreement follows a first joint economic commission of a Ministerial session held in Kampala between Monday and Tuesday. The meeting, which included a delegation of Turkish officials, Uganda officials and participants from other East African states, also discussed bilateral trade relationships between East Africa, particularly Uganda, and Turkey.
Trade volumes
According to statistics recorded in the last decade, trade between the two countries has grown from about Shs4.6 billion in 2003 to about Shs51 billion in 2009. The committee focusing on trade and investment, said trade potential between the two countries has not been fully exploited and as such there is a need for a joint vision to strengthen and further develop commercial and economic relations.
The committee agreed to encourage the two countries’ export promotion bodies to assist Small and Medium Enterprise to expand capacity and engage in export trade and facilitation.
Members said SMEs should be provided with skills development programmes and trade information in order to boost their capacity.
Other focus areas
The agreement will also focus on industrialisation with technical support from Turkey, technological transfers to support Uganda’s textile industry and goods standardisation among others. Turkey also agreed to provide training programmes to Ugandan farmers on the issue of modern irrigation systems, agricultural extension and the use of agricultural equipment and machines. The technical session also indentified transport as another key area, which needs cooperation.
Mr Kahinda Otafiire, Uganda’s Tourism and Trade minister, signed on behalf of the Uganda government, while Mr Bulent Arinc, the Turkish deputy prime minister, signed on behalf of the Turkish government.
Arinc asked Uganda’s support for immediate launch of a free trade agreement between Turkey and East African Community which includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.
Monday, 29 November 2010 14:34
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, who attended on Monday the meeting of Turkey-Uganda Joint Economic Committee in Kampala, said that Turkey aims to help eradicate poverty in Africa and carry out a joint sustainable development policy with African countries.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Arinc said that Turkey considers Uganda as a close friend despite the geographical distance.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a visit to Uganda last May, Arinc recalled, and he said that Gul’s visit was an important sign of friendship between the two countries.
“I would like to underscore our eagerness and determination to improve commercial and economic relations,” Arinc told the meeting.
Arinc also said that Turkey’s new strategy towards Africa, launched in 2003 to enhance economic relations with African countries, aims at helping eliminate poverty in the continent and carry out a joint sustainable development policy together with African countries.
“Our strategy aims at full integration of Africa into global economy,” he said.
Turkey’s trade with Africa skyrocketed and grew by 200 percent after the new strategy, he reminded. Arinc added that Turkey’s investments in the continent was over $3 billion in 2009.
Arinc asked Uganda’s support for immediate launch of a free trade agreement between Turkey and East African Community which includes Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. He said such an agreement was key to improve economic relations.
On relations with Uganda, Arinc said that trade between the two countries grew by 10 times over the past seven years.
“However, this level is far away from the potential of the two countries,” he said.
“We can work together to increase mutual investments, and help Turkish construction firms carry out infrastructure and development projects in Uganda,” he added.
Uganda’s Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Kironda Kiwajinja, on his part, told the meeting that his country was a commercial hub for several countries in Africa. Pointing out the potential between the two countries, Kiwajinja said that better relations was very important for Uganda.
Kiwajinja also said that flights of Turkish Airlines to his country and Turkish schools in Uganda would help build better relations.
