21 November 2009 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
The Aegean Turkish-Greek Industrialists and Businessmen Association has been established in İzmir in a bid to boost trade between the two countries.
Speaking during a press conference organized to announce the establishment of the association yesterday, Ömür Şanlı, the chairman of the body, explained the starting point of the organization was the fact that trade relations between Turkey and Greece have not reached their full potential. The association’s founders sought to create an institution focused on boosting trade between the Greece and Turkey, which has not yet reached its full potential. Established after three years of work, the association is planning to open offices in Athens, Thessalonica, the Dodecanese islands, Xanthi and Komotini, Şanlı said. Şanlı noted that Turkey, the world’s 17th largest economy, offers lucrative opportunities for Greek investors, however, he continued, the number of Greek businessmen investing in Turkey remains low due to negative propaganda about the country along with a persisting anti-Turkey bias. The association will work as trade advisor to Greek businessmen on a voluntary basis, he said.
