12.12.2022 Berlin / Germany
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the “Turkish-German Economic Dialogue” meeting held in Berlin and expressed his views on the development of economic and commercial relations between Türkiye and Germany.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said
that he is proud of the Turkish entrepreneurs who have contributed to both the
German economy and the Turkish economy and that they are all heroes.
Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that there are deep-rooted, historical and economic
relations between Türkiye and Germany.
Stating that the trade
volume between the two countries is over 40 billion dollars, Hisarcıklıoğlu said,
“Over 3 million Turks, the majority of whom are German citizens, live in
Germany. Our people carry out very important tasks in politics, sports and art.
I am proud of the Turkish entrepreneurs who have contributed to both the German
economy and the Turkish economy. You are all heroes. You are a success story.”
Recalling the Covid-19 pandemic
that shook the world economy deeply, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that it was Turkish
scientists Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci, who also lived in Germany, who found
the vaccine against the pandemic, which showed the effect of the two countries
on each other.
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed
out that 80,000 Turkish entrepreneurs in Germany make a turnover of 80 billion
euros per year and employ 500,000 people, “In our country, nearly 8,000 German
companies invest 10 billion euros and provide employment for 120,000 people. We
are proud of the investments of the Turks in Germany and the German investments
in Türkiye.”
Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that they attach importance to the existence of the German-Turkish
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK) as much as the existence of TATSO, and
that the mission of the two institutions is to increase mutual investments and
trade.
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
emphasizing that Germany is the largest economy and locomotive country of the
European Union (EU), said, “Germany has always been a determinant and pioneer
in Türkiye-EU relations. Every decision that brings Türkiye closer to the EU
must have Germany's support. When we look at the agenda of Türkiye-EU relations,
we need Germany's support even more. In particular, green and digital
transformation, customs union modernization and visa liberalization for Turkish
citizens are at the top of these issues. We want to expand and deepen our
economic relations with Germany.”
Reminding that German
President Frank-Walter Steinmeir gave him the German Order of Merit last year,
Hisarcıklıoğlu added that he expressed his gratitude to him on this occasion.
- “We hope to see TOGG vehicles on the streets of Berlin
soon”
Türkiye's Ambassador to
Berlin Ahmet Başar Şen said that Germany is Türkiye's largest trading partner
and that they want bilateral trade to be increased in a balanced manner and
that the annual volume will reach $ 50 billion, which is the target set by
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In his speech, Şen
pointed to Türkiye's Automobile Enterprise Group (TOGG) Executive Director
Gürcan Karakaş and said, “I would also like to state that we hope to see TOGG
vehicles on the streets of Berlin soon. I would like to remind you that we have
been promised the first of TOGGs that we are looking forward to. We are waiting
for our TOGG.”
Stating that the trade
volume between Türkiye and Germany will increase further with the expansion and
updating of the Customs Union Agreement in force between the EU and Türkiye to
include e-commerce, public procurement, agriculture and other sectors, Şen
said, “Updating the Customs Union will be a very important step for everyone
who does business between Türkiye and Germany and aims to do it. We have to
work together for this.”
Stating that one of the
most talked about issues in Germany recently with the triggering of the energy
crisis in Europe is the energy transition, the transition to renewable energy
sources and the increase in the share of hydrogen production in the industry, Şen
continued:
“Our country, which
played a constructive role against the deepening crisis between the Western
world and Russia, is expected to play a leading role in overcoming the energy
crisis, especially natural gas, with its position, strong economy and
experience in international energy projects. Türkiye, which has advanced
renewable energy investments such as hydropower and geothermal, has a high
potential, especially in solar and wind energy. With its high production power,
Türkiye is one of the most reliable partners in the field of renewable energy
that can contribute to Europe's security of supply.”
Ambassador Şen,
emphasizing that Türkiye is a country that stands out with its favorable
competitive environment, investment incentives, advanced legal regulations,
geopolitical position, said, “Türkiye with its ease of access to emerging
markets, strong production infrastructure, advanced transportation and supply
channels, logistics centers, easy access to raw materials and intermediate
inputs, qualified labor force, well-trained human resources of 85 million and
academic scientific infrastructure, is a
country that stands out in the creation of new supply channels and the diversification
of existing ones. Thanks to these strengths, we aim to become the production
and innovation center of Europe and our region in many sectors.”
TATSO President Rolf
Königs said that he loves Türkiye and the Turkish-German friendship very much
and that he will continue to do everything to improve it.
Referring to Napoleon's
remark, Königs emphasized his love for Türkiye by saying, “If the world was a
single country, İstanbul would be its capital.”