Gaziantep honorary consul aims to boost trade between Turkey, Brazil

Brazil's newly appointed honorary consul in Gaziantep, Murat Kokoglu, intends to boost trade between Gaziantep and its vicinity and the world's seventh biggest economy, Brazil, with the help of the opening of an honorary consulate in Turkey's industrializing city of Gaziantep. Speaking to Today's Zaman, Kokoglu said trade volume between Turkey and Brazil is not at the desired level although an action plan for strategic partnership signed in May 27, 2010 signaled a turning point in bilateral relations. "Gaziantep's industries' interest in Brazil has been on the rise as it is the doorway to Turkey's Latin American initiative," he said. According to 2011 figures, Turkish exports to Brazil amounted to $884 million while its imports from Brazil were $2 billion. A Gaziantep-based businessman, honorary consul Kokoglu said that in the face of such unbalanced figures, it is important for Turkish businessmen to get to know Brazil and become actively involved in trade with the country. He added that Gaziantep's exports to Brazil rose from $5.4 million in 2009 to $21.8 million in 2012, which he described as a positive but insufficient development. Kokoglu listed the textile industry as the primary area of cooperation between Gaziantep and Brazil. Kokoglu said that as part of his mission, he will work towards introducing Brazilian culture and increasing dialogue between the two countries in addition to boosting trade. He also vowed to undertake efforts to establish interaction among universities in Brazil and Gaziantep. Marcelo Jardim, the Brazilian ambassador to Turkey, speaking at the official opening of the Brazilian honorary consulate in Gaziantep last week, said the government of Brazil decided to "create a consulate in Gaziantep considering the relevance and importance of the city in many areas," stating that Gaziantep has the potential to serve as an "anchor" for the development of exemplary relations between Brazil and Turkey. Similar to Kokoglu, Ambassador Jardim said the levels of bilateral trade are still low, although he added that statistics "identify the existence of a trade flow in a considerable amount of industrialized products and a surplus for Gaziantep exporters in terms of items like cable synthetic yarns, carpets, cotton and machinery for the textile industry, among many others." The ambassador also urged mutual reciprocal visits for better knowledge of both markets. He said the best way to do so would be for those in Gaziantep to take part in trade missions organized and coordinated by the Turkish government or by business associations like the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) or the Foreign Economic Relations Board.