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TUSKON President visited Washington, DC
TUSKON President Rizanur Meral, and Secretary General Dr. Mustafa Gunay visited Washington DC on April 6-8, 2010. Delegation met with think tankttacc_rizanur_meral scholars, government officials and business leaders. TUSKON President also paid a good will visit to the newly appointed Turkish Ambassador Namik Tan. Turkey may not be able to come through as a global economic leader unless its trade with the US multiplies in the coming years, Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) Chairman Rızanur Meral has said in an interview during this visit.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency in Washington on April 8, 2010, Meral stated that regardless of how strong our relationship with other geographies is, if we don't have a place in the American market, than we can't say that we are a global power.Stating that for an economy that has tripled in size in less than a decade, the US market -- making up a quarter of the total global economy -- cannot be ignored.

Meral also stated that Turkish investors are facing difficulties and that they arent the only ones to blame for the lack of trade between the two nations. After the Sept. 11 attacks, Meral stated, Turkish businesspeople became uncomfortable with the treatment they received when applying for visas and entering the country. He added, however, that Turkish businessmen should be more open to partnerships with US companies in other parts of the world, highlighting that American businessmen need expertise in developing countries, and that Turkish entrepreneurs could fill this need for them.

In different regions that we go to, we see that European and Americans dont want to send people to risky places where they may have to make concessions to their lifestyle. Turks, on the other hand, take these risks and accept their environment. Therefore we should combine our strengths and sign off on profitable endeavors, stressed Meral.

Meral also stated that when he asks Americans if they've ever visited Turkey, most reply that their last visit was 10 to 15 years ago, underlining the importance of attracting Americans to Turkey to better understand the economic and political position it is in now. Regarding the role of tourism, Meral stated: We don't fully exploit the tourism potential in Turkey. A lack of publicity is our Achilles heel. We need to fix this quickly.  It's an investment with very fast and great returns.