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Viewing cable 05ANKARA7658, TURKEY'S 2006 "YEAR OF THE AMERICAS"

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05ANKARA7658 2005-12-30 11:36 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Ankara
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS ANKARA 007658 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR LISA ERRION 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/CRUSNAK 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD BEXP TU
SUBJECT:  TURKEY'S 2006 "YEAR OF THE AMERICAS" 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  Summary.  Based on the success of similar 
regional strategies the GOT has been implementing since 
2003, Turkey's Foreign Trade Undersecretariat (FTU) will 
focus its 2006 trade promotion strategy on the United 
States.  With a target of increasing the share of Turkish 
goods in U.S. imports, FTU has identified five U.S. 
states where the FTU will focus its marketing and 
promotion activities, working with professional 
consultants specialized in the U.S. market, as well as 
with public-private Turkish business organizations like 
the Turkish-U.S. Business Council.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU)  In a recent meeting, FTU Deputy Director 
General for Agreements Osman Bekaroglu described FTU's 
2006 strategy to promote trade and investment relations 
with North America, with a focus on the United States. 
Turkey has been implementing similar annual strategies 
with different world regions since 2003.  Bekaroglu noted 
that strategies for neighboring countries, African and 
Asia-Pacific countries resulted in increases as high as 
100 percent in Turkey's trade volume with these 
countries. He said the GOT decided to make "the 
Americas," and the United States in particular, the 
object of their 2006 strategy given the small share of 
Turkish goods in total U.S. imports. 
 
3.  (SBU)  Bekaroglu said the U.S. market's competitive 
nature, variety, and extensive distribution network 
presented opportunities for Turkish exporters. 
Identifying a need to find "entry points" for Turkish 
firms, the FTU has identified five target states -- New 
York, Texas, California, Florida and Illinois -- in which 
the GOT efforts will be focused.  Bekaroglu said this 
selection was made based on these states' contributions 
to U.S. GDP and their relative propensity to import from 
Turkey. According to data the GOT collected from the 
customs points in these states, 34 percent of Turkish 
exports go to New York, 11 percent to Texas, 8 percent to 
California, 6 percent to Florida and 3 percent to 
Illinois.  Bekaroglu said they also selected certain 
product groups to focus on, including vegetables, edible 
oils, plastics and rubber products, leather apparel and 
travel goods, carpets, home textiles, processed marble, 
glassware, jewelry, and automobile parts as product 
groups with a potential market in the U.S. 
 
4.  (SBU)  Elaborating on the GOT's plans, Bekaroglu said 
the 2006 strategy was only an initial step and that the 
GOT was considering some long-term policies to promote 
Turkish goods in the U.S.  For example, Bekaroglu said 
the FTU would increase the number and capacity of its 
commercial offices in the U.S., and noted that a trade 
representative had been appointed to Los Angeles this 
November for the first time.  Bekaroglu also said FTU 
planned to hire a consultant specialized in the U.S. 
market, and to conduct U.S. marketing and promotion 
strategies accordingly.  The tools the FTU will use 
include trade and buyers missions, outsourcing missions, 
encouraging participation by Turkish companies in trade 
fairs, facilitating cooperation between business 
associations and chambers of commerce, and organizing 
seminars both in the U.S. on Turkish goods and in Turkey 
on the U.S. market characteristics.  Bekaroglu emphasized 
the important role sectoral "promotion groups" could play 
in increasing Turkish products' share in the U.S. market. 
Although he didn't say how, Bekaroglu thought the 
upcoming Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) 
meetings would give a good head start to their strategy. 
 
5.  (SBU)  Comment: Turkish Treasury officials, who are 
responsible for investment, separately told us the 
strategy also had an investment leg, but that the precise 
modalities had not been identified.  It is important to 
note that this is Turkey's strategy to increase its 
exports to the U.S. and to attract more U.S. investment, 
although some officials we met diplomatically described 
the strategy target as "improved bilateral economic 
relations." 
Wilson