The President of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD) Umit Boyner led a delegation to Washington for talks on U.S. – Turkey relations on December 4 – 5, 2012.
The TUSIAD delegation met Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Jose Fernandez and exchanged views on improving economic relations between Turkey and the United States. TUSIAD has been a leading proponent of developing bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries.
The visiting delegation also met Congressmen Gregory Meeks and Dan Burton and discussed prospects for U.S. – Turkey political relations. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx hosted a reception at the Capitol Hill Club for TUSIAD and Boyner and the delegation had the opportunity to meet with members and their staff. Among
the many distinguished guests, Boyner met House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. The Congressional outreach was sponsored by the Turkish Coalition of America, a leading Turkish American organization.
TUSIAD President Umit Boyner spoke at a conference hosted by The Brookings Institution exploring “The Next Phase of the U.S.-Turkey Strategic Partnership.” The event marked the launch of the TUSIAD U.S. – Turkey Forum at Brookings, a partnership focusing on U.S. – Turkey bilateral relations and Turkey’s role in the world. During the event, Professor Kemal Kirisci was introduced as the “TUSIAD Senior Fellow” at Brookings.
Boyner was invited to Washington to attend the World Bank Knowledge Advisory Commission meeting held on Monday, December 3. The Knowledge Advisory Commission (KAC) is a recently constituted external body whose role is to provide the President and Senior Management of the World Bank with advice on the global development knowledge agenda.
The delegation’s visit was organized by the TUSIAD Washington Representative Office. The Representative Office is charged with developing and deepening U.S. – Turkey relations by strengthening mutual interaction. The TUSIAD Washington Representative Office recently celebrated its 14th anniversary.