Trade Ministers, businesmen convene for Turskon-sponsored fair in Istanbul

The Turkish Confederation of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSKON) yesterday held its Istanbul Foreign Trade Ministers Summit as part of its second Turkey-World Trade Bridge event. Chaired by Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan, the summit brought together trade ministers and deputy prime ministers from 30 countries to share their experiences and discuss challenges and opportunities to boost their countries' trade ties. "I have no doubt that the bonds of cooperation and business opportunities forged through this program will help improve the world economy and trade in the years ahead," said Caglayan in his opening speech, commending TUSKON's initiative. Some 2,200 international businesspeople are in Istanbul to attend the Turkey-World Trade Bridge, during which they will hold thousands of business meetings with their Turkish counterparts. The program is also a trade fair as there will be 400 Turkish exhibitors welcoming visitors to their commercial booths as part of the event. With its trade volume of almost $250 billion, Turkey last year became the world's 17th-largest economy and Europe's sixth-largest. Caglayan also reiterated the government's aim to reach exports of $500 billion by 2023, the republic's centennial. He also touted how Turkey is the only country in the world to have its credit rating raised four times since September 2008.