VZCZCXRO4954
PP RUEHDA
DE RUEHIT #0247 0850518
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260518Z MAR 07
FM AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6799
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 6335
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA PRIORITY 2304
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ISTANBUL 000247
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
USDOC FOR 4200/ITA/MAC/EUR/PDYCK/CRUSNAK
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD EINV BEXP TU
SUBJECT: US CHAMBER-ISTANBUL CHAMBER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT
REF: A. ISTANBUL 159
B. 2006 ANKARA 5673
1. Summary. Inspired by an earlier US Chamber - Turkish
Union of Chambers (TOBB) project (ref B) designed to
familiarize small and medium sized Turkish businesses with
the U.S. market, the Istanbul Chamber hosted a series of
workshops in cooperation with the U.S. Chamber on March
20-23. This is the first phase of a business development
project designed to build a support infrastructure for
efforts by medium sized Turkish companies to expand in the
U.S. market. The second phase of the project involves "doing
business in Turkey" workshops to be held in three U.S. cities
during late April/early May. The third phase of the project
will be a 'train the trainer' exercise designed to further
familiarize medium sized Turkish companies with the U.S.
market. This private-sector led initiative complements
government-to-government efforts to increase bilateral trade
and investment levels such as the recently concluded Economic
Partnership Commission talks. End Summary.
2. On March 20-23 the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO)
held a series of three workshops designed to educate the
Turkish business community on ways to develop business
opportunities in certain sectors of the U. S. market. The
workshops were focused on the processed food; marble, natural
stone and tile; and furniture sectors. Expert presenters
from the U.S. described general market trends, regulatory and
customs issues, logistics and distribution channels, trade
shows and other resources as well as recounting success
stories. Presentations and panel discussions were followed
by active Q sessions.
3. The second phase of this project is to facilitate "How to
Do Business in Turkey" forums in Chicago, an as yet to be
determined city in California and one additional U.S. city
beginning in May. These will be educational business
outreach programs designed to make U.S. companies aware of
opportunities to do business with Turkish partners. The
final phase will be an intensive training program in
Washington for business counselors who will return to
Istanbul to advise Turkish companies on how to navigate the
U.S. market.
4. Comment: This private-sector led initiative should help
Turkish exporters deal with some of the market unfamiliarity
concerns voiced by local business leaders to EEB A/S Sullivan
during the February EPC meetings (ref A). This entirely
private sector-funded project is a natural extension of a
partially USAID-funded business development project that
brought together the Ankara-based Turkish Union of Chambers
and the U.S. Chamber last year and is an example of the
multiplier effect of the earlier project. The U.S. Chamber
organizer told us that they were hopeful that this project
could be expanded to include more sectors as well as cities
other than Istanbul. End Comment.
JONES