USIA - "Positive" Meeting Between Turkish Minister, Commerce Secretary, 97-02-21

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"POSITIVE" MEETING BETWEEN TURKISH MINISTER, COMMERCE SECRETARY

(Asst. Sec. Commerce Vickery speaks at U.S.-Turkey forum) (740)

By Louise Fenner
USIA Staff Writer

Vickery, who spoke to an energy sector forum at the American-Turkish Council (ATC) annual conference following the Gul-Daley meeting, said he was "particularly gratified to hear from Minister Gul that his first principle in dealing with problems is one of pragmatism, not based on any particular ideological orientation. "Minister Gul indicated that he is determined to reduce bureaucratic barriers to investment, trade, and doing business in Turkey, Vickery added.

Much of the discussion at the Gul-Daley meeting focused on energy and energy projects in Turkey, particularly the "Build-Own-Operate" projects, said Vickery. "I believe we are going to find an even closer working relationship in regard to working out problems which have thus far been of great concern in terms of being able to finance the projects that are needed."

He said Secretary Daley accepted an invitation from Minister Gul to visit Turkey and expected that such a visit would take place later this year. "I can't underline too much the importance of that as showing the kind of emphasis that we in the Clinton administration place on U.S.-Turkish relations," Vickery said.

Also speaking at the energy forum was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Development Michael Copps, who said the newly established U.S.-Turkey Business Development Council (BDC) will be "an extremely valuable mechanism for bringing everybody together" and strengthening the dialogue between the governments and private sectors of both countries.

"We see these BDC's as a forum for identifying new opportunities and also resolving obstacles and barriers," he said, noting that "as (Under Secretary of Commerce) Stuart Eizenstat pointed out yesterday, there are very few countries that we have this kind of relationship with." One of the first BDC working groups may deal with energy issues, he said.

James Wilson, commercial counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, said there is "an excellent spirit of cooperation among all the parties involved -- the governments and the private sectors -- in seeking practical solutions to the problems" accompanying the development of energy sector projects.

"We share a strong common interest in seeing private power be successful in Turkey," he said. "It's a situation in which there are only winners, and we will only be losers if we are not successful in implementing the projects."

Wilson added that "the key issues of risk allocation are not easy. Clearly the developers have one perspective, the government has another perspective, and hopefully the negotiations will bring about a risk allocation that is somewhere in the middle and is a reasonable one, one that will allow the projects to be developed."

He said "the willingness to find solutions because of the strong need of Turkey for power, and the fact that there is no practical alternative to private power at this stage, makes me optimistic that with continued hard work on everybody's part, I think we will see progress."

Laird Treiber, deputy Turkey desk officer at the U.S. State Department, said the U.S.-Turkey relationship "is more important now than it has ever been before."

He said the designation of Turkey as a Big Emerging Market "is a recognition on the part of the United States that export markets like Turkey are strategically important" and of the importance of "fostering Turkey's very impressive economic growth."

Treiber said "the attitude of the Turkish government has been exemplary in terms of trying to address reform in a number of areas, particularly energy."

While the U.S. government is working hard to foster its relationship with Turkey, he said, "in a lot of ways it's up to private companies. You are the essential elements, both Turkish and U.S. companies, because governments can work together to try to create the right framework, but it is going to be companies that will make it work."

A record 1,400 delegates attended this year's ATC annual conference, which is also sponsored by the Turkish-U.S. Business Council of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (TUSBC-DEIK) and The American Friends of Turkey.

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