HKTDC Opens Trade Office in Istanbul, Turkey
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| Turkish Undersecretary for Foreign Trade Ahmet Yakici (left) and HKTDC Chairman Jack So at the 1 November reception celebrating the opening of the HKTDC’s Istanbul office, the 41st in the Council’s global network | |
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| Toasting the formal opening of the HKTDC’s Istanbul office are (left to right): Lore Buscher, HKTDC Regional Director, Europe; Margaret Fong, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director; Ahmet Yakici, Turkish Undersecretary for Foreign Trade; Jack So, Chairman, HKTDC; Liu Guoyu, Commercial Consul, Chinese Consulate General in Istanbul; Perran Ersu, Manager, HKTDC Istanbul office |
3 November 2010 – Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) Chairman Jack So formally opened the Council’s first office in Turkey on 2 November. The new office, in Istanbul, the country’s largest city, is the 41st in the HKTDC’s global network of trade offices.
“Your population, the third-largest in Europe, is the continent’s youngest, with an expanding consumer appetite for the brand-name products Hong Kong is known for worldwide,” said Mr So, speaking during an office-opening reception with Turkish business leaders at the Conrad Istanbul hotel.
“Our strategic location has much to offer Turkish companies. As the gateway to the Chinese mainland, and as Asia’s trendsetter, Hong Kong attracts consumers and traders from all over the world,” added Mr So, who was joined at the event by HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Margaret Fong and the Turkish Undersecretary for Foreign Trade Ahmet Yakici.
The Istanbul office will help promote trade with Turkey, which boasts an economy ranked the sixth-largest in Europe.
Perran Ersu heads the HKTDC’s Istanbul office, which will provide information, assistance and support to companies interested in trade and in participating in Hong Kong fairs and exhibitions.
Major Turkish Mission
Cooperation between Turkey and Hong Kong has been steadily growing. The day before the Istanbul office opening, a high-level Turkish delegation, led by Turkey’s State Minister Zafer Caglayan, visited Hong Kong. The group of more than 30 government and trade association leaders was the largest Turkish business delegation to visit Hong Kong.
Speaking at a networking luncheon in honour of the Turkish State Minister and his delegation, HKTDC Executive Director Fred Lam noted that the two economies “have much to offer each other as strategic partners. Turkey is uniquely positioned to serve as Hong Kong’s gateway to the European hinterland,” said Mr Lam. Hong Kong, he added, “can play a similar role for Turkish companies looking to the Chinese mainland and Asia in general.”
Total trade between Hong Kong and Turkey was up 30 per cent in the first nine months of 2010, to US$705 million. During the same period, the number of Turkish buyers to HKTDC fairs jumped by 80 per cent, to nearly 2,800.
Growing China Trade
Among the top 10 destinations for Turkish exports, Hong Kong is also a huge attraction for Turkish business. About 10,000 companies from Turkey currently trade with Hong Kong, which is home to the world’s busiest air cargo hub and one of the busiest container ports in the world. The trade and finance capital of the Asian region, Hong Kong also opens doors to the Chinese mainland.
“I know Turkey values its growing business with the Chinese mainland,” said Mr So. “Total trade between your two economies was up 62 per cent, to nearly US$9.8 billion, in the first eight months of 2010.” Mr So added that while Turkey-China trade should continue to strengthen following last year’s global downturn, “Hong Kong – with the help of the HKTDC – can boost Turkish-China trade even further.”
Media Enquiries
HKTDC Corporate Communication Department
Joe Kainz Tel: (852) 2584 4216 Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org
HKTDC Istanbul Office
Perran Ersu Tel: (90) 212 287 4678 Email: istanbul.consultant@hktdc.org
About the HKTDC
A statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and service providers. With more than 40 global offices, including 11 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises trade fairs and business missions to connect companies with opportunities in Hong Kong and on the mainland, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and online. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com
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