TURKEY WILL GO THROUGH GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS WITH MINIMUM DAMAGE, TUZMEN
Anatolia News Agency
Oct 9 2008
Turkey
ATLANTA (A.A) -Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said Wednesday
that Turkey would go through the global economic crisis with minimum
damage based on its stock exchange and size of businesses that were
not too big.
Speaking at an NGO in Atlanta, Tuzmen stressed that Turkey must pursue
trade focusing on "high price, high quality and high technology".
"Last year, foreign capital worth 22.2 billion USD entered Turkey,"
Tuzmen said.
Touching on Turkish-US commercial relations, Tuzmen stressed that
Turkish exports to the US dropped recently as the Turkish lira gained
value and competition from the Far East increased.
"Nevertheless, Turkey and the US pursue similar ideals globally. These
are peace, democracy, freedom, welfare and the fight against terror,"
Tuzmen said.
Tuzmen inaugurated the "Year of Turkey" at the Kennesaw State
University in Atlanta.
Speaking at the ceremony, President of Kennesaw State University
Daniel Papp said that they wanted their students to get to know Turkey,
a country with which the US had close relations.
The "Year of Turkey" will be celebrated at Kennesaw State University
with various activities and it will end in May 2009.
Tuzmen later visited the headquarters of Coca Cola company in Atlanta.
In reference to Muhtar Kent, the CEO of Coca Cola, Tuzmen said that
"it is highly pleasing to see a Turk in a high position as Kent."
Kursad Tuzmen attended a dinner hosted in his honour by the US
Southeast Turkish-American Chamber of Commerce (TACC).
Answering a question at the dinner, Tuzmen stressed that unless the
issue of Upper Karabagh is resolved, Turkey will not develop commercial
relations with Armenia.