11.08.2007 Who We Are

As the most widespread non-governmental, non-profit institution representing business community in Turkey, Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey, TUSKON, is dedicated to share know-how, experience and communication networks with our businessmen who would like to be global players of the today’s world. TUSKON today, is an umbrella organization for 7 regional federations, 151 business associations with more than 15000 business people members in Turkey.

At TUSKON, we constantly commit to serve our country and people. In a very short period of time, TUSKON succeeds in organizing nine “Foreign Trade Bridge” Programs. The flagship of TUSKON’s foreign trade bridge programs, “Turkey-World Trade Bridge 2009” (TWTB 2009), was organized in Istanbul, Turkey on June 1-7, 2009 with a total of 2,250 business people from 135 different countries, and 3,000 businesspeople from Turkey. 120,000 bilateral business meetings were held between Turkish and international participants. These meetings are estimated to produce a trade volume of 7-billion U.S. dollars in the near future. TWTB 2009 program can be considered as the largest business match-making summit ever organized.

TUSKON also organizes trade and investment delegations to potentially viable countries as a follow up to Trade Bridge Programs. Many of these delegations are organized by the joint efforts of TUSKON and related government agencies; like the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Turkey and the Turkish Exporters’ Union. Most of TUSKON delegations were led by the President of Turkey or relevant Turkish Cabinet Members. Some examples are Presidents’ Kenya, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Albania trips in 2008 and 2009, Minister of Foreign Trade’s South Africa, India, Kazakhstan trips. In addition to TUSKON delegations, our member federations and their associations organized more than 100 trade and investment delegations in the last two years.

TUSKON is capable of organizing bilateral business meetings, business forums, seminars and field trips for ministerial dignitaries and business delegations visiting Turkey. TUSKON is the best positioned organization in the Turkish business community in organizing match-making events for international business people. Some of the examples are US Trade Winds Program, Kazakh President’s and Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister’s business delegations to Turkey.

A consistent adherence to our basic commitment of service to our members and to our country has propelled TUSKON to open representative offices throughout the world. Our Brussels' office opened in 2006 to provide resourceful and proficient communication between European Union Institutions and the Turkish private sector. This office also represents a strong commitment by TUSKON to support Turkey's accession to the European Union. In 2008, TUSKON started a joint project called “Turkey Insight” with European Policy Center to promote Turkey and to help open a venue for Turkey scholars and government officials for public diplomacy. President of Turkey, European Commissioner Olli Rehn, EU President Barroso, Chief Negotiator, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Energy from Turkey were hosted by this joint program in Brussels.

As part of this effort, Washington, DC Representative Office, TUSKON US, started business in September 2007. Our history of close relations, shared interests, and common values makes United States one of the most important Allies of Turkiye anywhere in the world. From our perspective, we now have a moment of opportunity to build stronger ties at all levels between our business worlds. The bilateral trade and investment opportunities are vast. We strive to find ways to facilitate these resources for the good of these two countries.

TUSKON US is also willing to be a conduit for exchange of information and knowledge between Turkiye and United States on economic, social, political and business matters and establish its own line of communication with US business enterprises, think tanks and government agencies. That’s why we organize occasional events in Washington, DC and quarterly trips to Turkey.

TUSKON started Moscow, Russia and Beijing, China Offices in 2008 to further enhance business relations and search for opportunities for its member in these emerging markets.