24.01.2017 Ankara
Minister of State Responsible for the Foreign Trade Policy of the UK Lord Price participated in a workshop hosted by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.
The meeting focused
on Turkey-England trade relations and Brexit, focusing on increasing trade relations
between the two countries in the process of the UK's departure from the EU.
Minister Price provided
information regarding Brexit stating that first thing to do was to prevent any
vacuum for commercial relations during the process and then to develop these
relations even further. Emphasizing that they regard Turkey as an extremely
strong trading partner, Lord Price stated that Turkey has important commercial
ties with the UK and that Turkey is a very important destination especially in
the field of tourism.
Pointing out that he is
a 33 year old businessman and runs a supermarket chain in the UK, the Minister
stated that the UK will primarily set their own timetables. Price said that a
new and comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU should be negotiated. He
expressed that they would like to continue current trade practices with their EU
partners.
- Free trade allows prices to fall
State Minister
Responsible for Foreign Trade Policy Lord Price, who said they put great
importance on the issue of free trade, lamented the increase of protective
measures in world trade. Price stressed that free trade allows people lift
themselves out of poverty and access cheaper and higher quality products. Price
noted that 75% of the tax in the UK came from businesses, stating that business
and community success is intertwined. Minister Lord Price also traveled to 24
countries, speaking with businessmen and ministers, adding that they wanted to
deepen relations with Turkey.
- Trade relations reach 16 billion USD
TOBB President M.
Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that economic, commercial and political
relations between the two countries are always of critical importance.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the United Kingdom always supports Turkey's EU
accession process, while the level of bilateral commercial relations has
reached 16 billion USD. Noting that these figures make UK Turkey's main trading
partner in the EU, the TOBB President stated that there are about 2,800
British-origin companies in Turkey.
Stating that the Turkish
business community is following the Brexit process with great curiosity,
Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Will this Brexit be a hard or soft exit? What steps will be
taken; what will be the path to follow?
We know that it will
have great impacts on the future of the EU. It will also have an impact on
Turkey-United Kingdom trade relations because of the Customs Union between
Turkey and the EU, "he said.
- Attendees
Attending the
luncheon hosted at the TOBB Twin Towers by Hisarcıklıoğlu were Lord Price,
Minister of State for Foreign Trade Policy in the UK, British Ambassador to
Ankara Richard Moore, TÜSIAD President Erol Bilecik, TİSK President Kudret
Önen, TOBB Board Treasurer and Ankara Commodity Exchange President Faik Yavuz, İKV
President Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, MÜSİAD Ankara Branch Director İlhan Erdal, Vice
President of Ankara Chamber of Commerce Mustafa Deryal, Ankara Chamber of
Industry Secretary General Yavuz Cabbar, TÜGİAD Vice Chairman Efe Bezci, DEİK
Coordinator Dilek Tuna and TEPAV Director Prof.Dr. Güven Sak.