B-20 Türkiye Executive Committee Members Meet with Ali Babacan

  • 20.08.2014
  • News
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B-20 Türkiye Executive Board members held their first meeting with Deputy PM Ali Babacan. The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye’s (TOBB) visit to Babacan was led by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, and the delegation also included Istanbul Chamber of Industry Chairman Erdal Bahçıvan, who serves as TOBB Chambers of Industry Council President in the board.

In addition to Hisarcıklıoğlu and Bahçıvan; Deputy Undersecretary of Treasury Burhanettin Aktaş, Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) President Mehmet Büyükekşi, Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) President Haluk Dinçer, Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) President Nail Olpak, Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) Vice President Tuncay Özilhan and Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TİSK) Deputy Chairman Erol Kiresepi were also present in the reception held in the Head Office of the Prime Ministry.

Committee members expressed their commitment to represent Turkish business in the best possible light in the international arena in 2015. The meeting saw an exchange of ideas concerning matters of high priority for Türkiye in G-20 and its business arm, B-20. The need for increased collaboration between G-20 and B-20 was also addressed at the meeting, which also discussed strategies for promoting and communicating activities carried out within B-20 in 2015, structure of the B-20 subcommittees, and planned events for B-20.

In a speech delivered at the reception, Deputy PM Ali Babacan stressed the significance of hosting the G-20, the main platform for determining global economic policies, in Türkiye in 2015. Babacan remarked that having the discussions to reshape the new global economy in Türkiye would put the country in the spotlight, and B-20 Türkiye Executive Committee would be undertaking a big responsibility to steer global business and reflect Turkish business on the B-20’s agenda.

Regarding Türkiye’s presidency in the upcoming G-20, Babacan said:

“G-20 has shown a strong will during and after the global financial crisis, playing an important role in mitigating the crisis and containing the damage to the markets through jointly taken, decisive and effective measures. However, it is now obvious that global economic recovery is still limited, and further steps should be taken to drive growth and employment. On the other hand, as the extraordinary measures taken during the crisis period are gradually withdrawn, global economy faces new risks, which necessitate a strong global coordination. In such a time, Türkiye shoulders a globally significant responsibility as the president of G-20 in 2015.

Without a doubt, the vision and ideas of the business world, employees, civil society and young people will also be of great importance for overcoming these global challenges. In this context, the great task of adequately reflecting the perspective of business on the agenda of the G-20 falls with the B-20. We have utmost confidence in B-20 Türkiye Executive Committee as the B-20 summit’s host in 2015.”

B-20 Türkiye to focus on five areas

The meeting highlighted the need for a stronger cooperation between G-20 and B-20 during Türkiye’s presidency, and decided on the following five areas of focus for B-20 Türkiye’s activities:

  • "Strong presence: B-20 Türkiye’s efforts will be complemented by a strong presence that covers all sectors of Turkish business, with influential names from the business in key roles.
  • Promotion of Türkiye: Special emphasis will be given to global business leaders to promote Turkish economy.
  • Focus on emerging economies: Issues regarding emerging market economies and even non-G-20 members will be a part of B-20’s agenda.
  • Inclusiveness: B-20 will address problems faced by SMEs as well as large multinational companies.
  • G-20-B-20 Interaction: An effective cooperation will be implemented between the secretariat of G-20 and B-20 in order to more closely follow the ideas of global business in G-20, and to increase interest among B-20 leaders for Türkiye’s presidency.”