Turkish, Asia-Pacific trade chambers seek greater cooperation

Turkey is becoming stronger economically, serving as a role model for the region, leading businessman Jemal Inaishvili said on Friday. Speaking at a news conference, the head of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI), said Turkey has great potential for Asian investors.

Drawing Asian attention to Turkey is a key goal of the 32nd CACCI conference, which opened in Istanbul on Friday.

Also speaking, Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, head of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), said Turkey accepts CACCI as a strategic partner.

"The Asia-Pacific region represents 40 percent of the world's population, 30 percent of world trade and 23 percent of the world economy," he noted.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed that this region's trade volume was $5.2 trillion, while Turkey's exports to this region were just over $10 billion.

The countries of this region make $470 billion of investments annually, but Turkey attracted only $1 billion in investments from this region last year, he added.

Turkey needs to broaden its horizon and widen its axis, he noted.

TOBB and CACCI will collaborate in five fields, he said, including women and youth entrepreneurship, tourism and health and ease of trade.

Samir Modi, senior vice president of CACCI, said Turkey and the Asia-Pacific region would get closer in the coming years. The two-day CACCI conference, held under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency, focuses on stronger investments through innovation, digitalization and integration.