Bilateral cooperation: Turkey woos Mauritian companies for business opportunities

A business meet was organised by the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on Thursday, in the context of the visit of a 15-member delegation from the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) of Turkey. The aim of the visit was to look forward for business opportunities with Mauritian entrepreneurs operating in a wide range of sectors. Possibilities to set up joint-ventures were also discussed.

The Turkish delegation comprised of key operators in sectors such as textiles (including workwear and catering uniforms), furniture manufacturing and interior design, chemical products, food, energy, construction and real estate, tourism, investment consultancy, event management, film production and seafood, among others.

According to Ömer Hakan Baki, chairperson of the Turkish-Mauritian Joint Business Council and head of the delegation, since the launch of the new air route between Istanbul and Port Louis through Turkish Airlines last year, the relationship between the two countries has been strengthened further.

Established in 1986, the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) is responsible for promoting foreign trade and investment relations of Turkey as well as of marketing the country to potential investors. Following a restructuring exercise in September 2014, all private sector and business bodies in Turkey have been drawn under DEİK’s umbrella. The umbrella organisation regroups 102 founding institutions, 33 business councils and 2,000 members.

“At DEİK, our priority is to continue on our business as usual and help the Turkish economy to initiate potential actions as quickly as possible. That’s why we are here in Mauritius to contribute to the development in economic and trade relations between the two countries,” says the head of the delegation. “We wish to establish relations with Africa based on a win-win model. Turkish contractors, which are amongst the major undertakers in Africa, so far have undertaken over 1,150 projects,” he says.

Mauritius as Turkey’s gateway to Africa 

The vice-president of the MCCI, Marday Venkatasamy, highlights that this is the fifth private sector meeting held between the MCCI and Turkish institutions during the past three years. “It is clear that the Turkish business people are very determined to consolidate their relations with their Mauritian counterpart,” he points out. The latter is of the opinion that Turkish business people should further exploit the numerous business opportunities that are now at their reach in Mauritius. 

“In addition to increasing trade, the Free Trade Agreement signed between the two countries also paves the way for greater collaboration. Mauritius can serve as Turkey’s gateway into the Eastern and Southern regions,” says the vice-president. Moreover, he says, with the trade preferences available under SADC and COMESA, Mauritian and Turkish businesses can set up joint ventures to serve the area, which represents a market of approximately 600 million people.