Jeffrey pledges US support for more foreign investment in Turkey

Much like recent years, Turkey is expected to attract more foreign investments in the future as well, US Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey said yesterday. Speaking at a press conference to release a new survey on Turkey 's business and investment environment, jointly conducted by the American Business Forum in Turkey , an affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce, and GFK Turkey, a leading Turkish market research agency, Jeffrey underlined the importance of the private sector and mutual investments for strengthening bilateral trade ties. "Bilateral investments will pave the way for stronger trade ties and political cooperation between Turkey and the US ," he said. Stressing Washington 's desire for more cooperation between Turkish and US businesspeople, Jeffrey said, "The survey showed that in the future, Turkey will continue to position itself as a major foreign investment magnet, as in the recent past, enjoying large foreign capital inflows." Touching on the global economic crisis, Jeffrey said, " Turkey is in a stable position despite the adverse impact of the crisis and is still attractive for foreign investors thanks to the resilience shown by its economy." Ankara 's clear economy policy and targeted measures to counter the crisis were pivotal in this respect, Jeffrey added. Stating that all companies need to gauge risk when making investment decisions, Jeffrey said, "Clearly zero risk is unrealistic, but they want to be able to predict possible risk levels. From this perspective, the Turkish economy is well-positioned to meet those expectations." He added that the US is ready to do whatever is needed to facilitate more foreign investments in Turkey.