The ancient Silk Road began in China and ended in Turkey. These historic ties between China and Turkey have been further strengthened through the “Belt and Road” Initiative. In recent years, the China-Turkey strategic partnership has continued to develop, with significant cooperation achieved across various sectors. How does the Belt and Road Initiative contribute to the deeper development of China-Turkey relations? What does the future hold for China-Turkey cooperation? Recently, several Turkish business representatives shared their views with China Daily on this subject.
Gürkan Yıldırım, Chairman of the Turkish Young Entrepreneurs Association, highly praised China-Turkey cooperation. He noted that China has become Turkey’s third-largest global trading partner and the most important trading partner in Asia. The two countries have achieved deep integration in the industrial and supply chain sectors. Over the past 20 years, bilateral trade volume has increased 40-fold. Yıldırım mentioned that the association plans to open its first overseas branch, the China Center, in Beijing by 2025. This center will act as a bridge between Turkey and China, further advancing investment, cooperation, and partnerships between the two countries, and contributing to the creation of a sustainable economic cooperation platform.
Ethem Sancak, Chairman of the ES Investment Committee, shared his thoughts on the “Belt and Road” Initiative. He emphasized that the initiative is based on the “win-win” principle in international relations, which is the cornerstone of all these efforts. Today, developing countries and countries in the Global South face great opportunities. The most important of these opportunities is to build a fair, equal, cooperative, free, peaceful, and prosperous world that everyone aspires to. Sancak stated that Turkey has been a participant in the Belt and Road Initiative since 2015. He highlighted the historical ties and cultural similarities between China and Turkey and noted that China plays a constructive role in the international arena, following a strategy that benefits all countries.
Korhan Kurdoğlu, Chairman of the Turkey-China Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), stated that China is not only a priority country for Turkey but also a market of great strategic importance. The council has maintained close relations with China for over 30 years. Today, Turkey’s participation in various international events held in China, such as the Chain Fair, marks the beginning of new investment stories between the two countries. Kurdoğlu expressed that they would do everything possible to further strengthen mutual relations between the two countries. As the CEO of an investment company, Kurdoğlu mentioned that his company’s technology firm, Trey Soft (ATP), based in Shanghai, is expanding its operations into various fields. He also noted that Chinese companies are showing increasing interest in Turkey, which signals a growing trust between China and Turkey. Kurdoğlu emphasized that Turkey and China are working together to create a healthy and solid cooperation environment and build a stronger economic structure. With this shared belief, he expressed confidence that the business ties between the two countries will continue to strengthen in the coming years.
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