Turkey-Benin trade and investment forum held by TUSCON in Istanbul

The Turkey-Benin Trade and Investment Forum was held by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) in Istanbul yesterday with the participation of Term President of the African Union (AU) and President of Benin Thomas Boni Yayi and the accompanying delegation. Speaking at the opening of the forum, Yayi said that Benin would host a business forum within the next two months and that Turkish businesspeople operating in Africa in particular would be invited to celebrate "Turkish Day" in Benin. Yayi also reiterated that President Abdullah Gul had promised to send four aircraft full of Turkish businesspeople to Benin for the forum during a discussion with him on Monday. Stating that the trade volume between Turkey and the African continent totaled $742 million a decade ago, Yayi said that this has increased to $7 billion today. TUSCON Chairman Rizanur Meral also made a speech at the forum, saying, "The presence of productive farmlands makes Benin powerful in the field of agriculture, and among the country's produce heavily exported cotton takes the lead. I think joint investments between the businesspeople of Turkey and Benin in this area in particular will be beneficial for all parties involved."