Turkey heads for major participation at industry fair in Germany's Hannover

One hundred ninety-two companies will represent Turkey at this year's Hannover Messe, one of the world's leading showcases for industrial technology, seeking opportunities for partnerships amidst the gloomy atmosphere of the ongoing global financial crisis. The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ıTO) will also be participating in the fair, scheduled for April 20-24 in Hannover, Germany, and will be providing support for and organizing the activities of the Turkish companies in attendance. The fair hosts a partner country as a guest of honor every year. Turkey played this role in 2007, followed by Japan in 2008. This year's special partner is South Korea. Stressing that this is a very important fair, ITO head Murat Yalcintas told reporters yesterday that Turkish companies have proven that they have enough competitive power and skill to compete in the global arena. "Turkish firms first came to the Hannover fair in the 1950s as visitors, and we have now been attending as participants for many years. We achieved considerable success in 2007 as the partner country, having made our mark with some 326 firms representing Turkey. We expect to see a similar achievement this year and to develop partnerships with companies from different parts of the world," he noted. Yalcintas said this year's fair will be a reminder that Turkish companies have not lost their spirit of entrepreneurship despite any problems due to the economic crisis.