For the whole text of the speech of Chairman Dr. Zeynel Abidin ERDEM click to

For the whole text of the closing speech of Chairman Dr. Zeynel Abidin ERDEM click to
 

 
Turkish-American Business Association (TABA) hosted a dinner reception and conference, in which the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated as a lecturer, on September 12, 2003. The dinner reception was attended by Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gönül, Minister of Internal Affairs Abdülkadir Aksu, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Hilmi Güner, Istanbul Governor Muammer Güler, US Consul General Dr. David L. Arnett, the senior European representative of the US Chamber of Commerce Peter-Hans Keilbach, Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ali Müfit Gürtuna, and Istanbul MP of AKP Egemen Bağış, as well as approximately 400 top level businessmen, representatives of foreign missions and bureaucrats.

In his opening speech, the Chairman of the Turkish-American Business Association (TABA) Mr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem stated that Turkey had faced the biggest crisis in its history two years before, that the country had survived that crisis by acquiring a stronger structure and that the only friendly nation that had provided support to Turkey in overcoming that crisis was the USA

Stating that Turkey attained political stability following the November 3 elections, Erdem pointed out that the government carried out young, dynamic and innovative operations rapidly responding to the needs of the Turkish people. Mentioning the September 11 attacks in his speech, Erdem said that Turkey had always been beside the USA in its struggle against terrorism, and reminded that, with its secular and democratic structure, Turkey had played a big role in prevention of a conflict of civilizations and religions. TABA Chairman expressed his belief that the 50 years of historical amity between Turkey and the USA would get stronger under the changing conditions of the world.

In his speech he delivered after the Chairman Zeynel Abidin Erdem, Istanbul MP of AKP Mr. Egemen Bağış said that the most significant characteristic that distinguished the Turkish community from the others in the United States was the level of education and that, as a consequence, the consciousness of unity and solidarity. Mr. Bağış pointed out that the most important factor that could ensure that they challenge the misconceptions and misguidance aimed at Turkey as a collective body was that unity and solidarity. Sta

T.C. Başbakanı Sayın Recep Tayyip Erdoğan'ın konuşmasının tam metni için Tıklayınız

ting that the success of the Turkish community in the USA in preventing passage of bills against Turkey at the US Congress and Senate in spite of existence of counter-lobby groups that were tens of times larger was the proof of that fact. By the end of his speech, Mr. Bağış referred to the item, “Our Government shall maintain the long-standing relations that are based on mutual respect with the USA in the most dynamic way. Our Government considers the generation of efficiency appropriate for the significance and function of being allied with the USA important, and desires to elevate our relations and collaboration with the USA to the top level in line with the mutual benefits and interests of our nations and in a way that it constitutes a dimension of the regional stability.” that existed in the program of the government, in order to ensure that the importance attached to the Turkish-American relations is emphasized.