The Türkiye-U.S. Business Council (TAİK) is Türkiye's oldest business council. Established in 1985, TAİK’s mission is to enhance trade and investment relations between Turkey and the United States. TAİK operates under the umbrella of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK).
MISSION
TAİK has a clear mission: to bolster trade and economic relations between Türkiye and the United States. TAİK works with American and Turkish companies to bolster their strategic partnerships, and to promote Türkiye’s strengths as a destination for American investment. TAIK is mandated to:
- Encourage business development and industrial cooperation between the U.S. and Türkiye;
- Improve the conditions for bilateral trade, foreign direct investment and joint investments in other countries;
- Identify opportunities in key sectors for U.S. states and cities where opportunities exist for mutually beneficial business development;
- Promote Türkiye’s key business sectors in the U.S. and leading role in the region, enhancing awareness about the advantages of doing business with Turkey;
- Provide detailed analysis on bilateral trade, investment, industrial and technological cooperation.
ACTIVITIES
TAİK creates platforms that strengthen economic relations between Türkiye and the U.S., undertaking an array of activities ranging from high profile investment summits to briefings, conferences and global networking dinners, including:
- Convening business seminars in U.S. cities with local businesses to develop opportunities for collaboration;
- Hosting meetings and receptions for TAİK members with delegations of American businesspeople and members of U.S. Congress visiting Türkiye and for Turkish delegations visiting the U.S.;
- Organizing meetings with high-level government officials, business people and NGOs. American dignitaries TAİK has hosted include former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, former U.S. Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretaries of Commerce Robert Mosbacher, William Daley and Penny Pritzker, as well as former U.S. Secretaries of Energy Spencer Abraham and Samuel Bodman, and former U.S. Secretaries of Defense Robert M. Gates, Leon Panetta and Chuck Hagel;
- Hosting briefing seminars for visiting delegations from prestigious U.S. institutions including the Council on Foreign Relations, Georgetown University, National Defense University, National War College, Eastern Trade Council, Foreign Policy Association, International Young Diplomats in Training, Marshall Memorial Fellowship, and U.S.-Asia Foundation;
- Organizing meetings in Türkiye to generate interest in doing business with the U.S., including “U.S.-Anatolia Bridge” meetings in emerging Turkish cities to inform local businesspeople about the economic potential and ways of doing business in the U.S.
LEADERSHIP
TAİK’s Chair is elected by its membership. Since 2017 TAİK has been led by prominent business executive Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ and supported by a global network of businesspeople, entrepreneurs and political decisionmakers.
TAİK’s Executive Committee consists of top-level businesspeople from Türkiye’s most prominent companies. Since its foundation, noteworthy executives such as Ersin Faralyalı, Feyyaz Berker, Sedat Aloğlu, Mustafa Koç, Akın Öngör, Dr. Vural Akışık, Dr. Yılmaz Argüden, Ferit F. Şahenk, Haluk Dinçer, Şerif Egeli and Ekim Alptekin have chaired the Business Council.
BACKGROUND
DEİK, the Turkish private sector’s gateway to international markets, was founded in 1986 to develop and monitor Türkiye’s economic, commercial, industrial and financial relations with foreign countries and international organizations. It has 95 founding institutions, representing all sectors of the Turkish private sector.
As of December 2018, there are 145 business councils operating under the DEİK umbrella, with TAİK being the oldest. TAİK benefits from the active support of both the Turkish and U.S. governments and has strategic relationships with various business development organizations in the U.S. for the coordination of events that promote bilateral trade.
COMMITTEES
TAİK plans its activities through its committees, namely: ATC Relations, Diaspora, Media, Member Relations, and Public Relations Committees.
STATE-LEVEL BUSINESS COUNCILS UNDER TAİK
To further enhance Turkish-American business relations, TAİK is extending its scope by establishing state-level business councils in California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas. With new counterparts at the state-level, TAİK is able to help Turkish companies enter more into the U.S. market.
ANNUAL TÜRKİYE INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
TAİK organizes a flagship Türkiye Investment Conference in New York City, an event which analyzes the Turkish economy and provides an outlook on investment opportunities. The Conference, which has been organized for the last 9 years, connects senior government officials and businesses from Türkiye with American investors and corporate leaders interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the business landscape in Turkey.
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN TURKISH COUNCIL
TAİK is partnered with the American Turkish Council (ATC), a leading independent business organization founded by U.S. diplomats in the 1980s, to organize a Joint Annual Conference each year in Washington D.C. This event creates a platform for member companies to exchange views on economic and political issues put forward by experts. The Conference, which has been taking place for the past 36 years, attracts hundreds of business people as well as high-level government representatives from both countries. Discussions on issues such as trade and investment, energy, construction and defense are highlights.
While in Washington, TAİK board members visit members of Congress, the State Department, think tanks, financial agencies and U.S. media representatives in order to exchange views on bilateral relations and discuss policies that enhance economic cooperation.
BUSINESS FARTHER AFIELD
TAİK has undertaken various joint missions with Turkish-Eurasian Business Councils to the Republics of Central Asia, Ukraine and the Russian Federation, with positive results for Turkish businesses.
Additionally, TAİK has co-organized seminars in New York, including an event entitled “Investment and Partnership Opportunities: Greece-Türkiye-U.S.” in collaboration with the Turkish-Greek Business Council.
TAİK’s website provides detailed information about Türkiye-U.S. commercial relations, up-to-date information and reports on doing business in Türkiye and the U.S., as well as information about DEİK, TAİK, relevant events, announcements and news.
