Developing 8 Countries Organization

Bangladesh-Turkey Heads Up to Boost $1-2 Billion in Investment

D-8 Secretariat — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:06:21 +0000

Bangladesh said trade volume between her and Turkey will reach $1.0 billion this year

Turkish businessmen have shown an interest in investing $1-2 billion USD to setup an export processing zone (EPZ) in Bangladesh, media source in Bangladesh reported.

A three-member business delegation of Turkey-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led by its President Fikret Cicek, conveyed the Turkish interest at a meeting with Commerce Minister Faruk Khan at his office in Dhaka on Sunday.

Welcoming the proposal, the commerce minister assured the delegation of all necessary support from Bangladesh government to implement it.

Terming the present government as business friendly, Faruk Khan said: “Our government is ready to provide all kinds of support for the promotion of business in the country.”

The commerce minister proposed the delegation to think about setting up a special Turkish industrial zone outside capital, Dhaka.

The meeting was informed about bumper production of pulses in Turkey and the possibilities of its import to Bangladesh, an official press statement said.

Faruk Khan was in İstanbul earlier in June to participate in the İstanbul World Trade Ministers Summit and the Turkey-World Trade Bridge 2009, organized by the Turkish Confederation of Industrialists and Businessmen (TUSKON). In an interview with Turkish Today’s Zaman, he said his country is full of investment opportunities, mostly untouched, waiting to be utilized by profit-seeking entrepreneurs.

He said trade volume between Bangladesh and Turkey will reach $1.0 billion this year from the current level of $517 million.

“I had fruitful discussions with Turkish trade minister, exporters and importers, and I am hopeful that the people of both countries will take advantage of existing confidence, derived from firm bondage,” he said during the meeting.

He particularly emphasized the incentives the Bangladeshi government is offering to interested investors. For example, the government has dedicated a separate industrial zone to Turkish businessmen with incentives such as land delivery and cheap labor and energy. Khan claims that Bangladesh has the cheapest labor costs in the world and that only a few other countries can match it in terms of the energy costs in this industrial zone. A company may hire an unskilled worker for a monthly salary of between $100 and $150 depending on the location, he said. There is one more very lucrative advantage that an investor must consider, he underlined: There are no legal barriers to foreign companies transferring their profits to their home countries. Khan also mentioned the free-trade agreements his country has with the European Union and the US. These agreements mean companies manufacturing in Bangladesh will have the opportunity to sell to these major markets without being subjected to any quota limitations, customs duties or trade barriers. “This is a big advantage that a businessman can hardly turn his back on,” he stressed.

Turkish Minister: Trade with Indonesia has $10 billion potential

D-8 Secretariat — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:14:39 +0000

Çağlayan is optimistic that the target to increase the trade volume to $5 billion in three years and $10 billion in five years can be reached

Turkish Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan has said the primary reason for the low volume of trade between Indonesia and Turkey is a lack of sufficient recognition of one another and claimed that the trade volume would be $10 billion instead of its current level of $1.7 billion if the two nations knew each other better.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Indonesia-Turkey Business Forum in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta on Monday last week, the minister delineated the reasons for weak commercial relations between the two countries and suggested ways to improve them to reach the highest potential. Çağlayan said it would be as easy as falling off a log to increase the trade volume to $5 billion in three years and $10 billion in five years, if both countries really commit themselves to this end.

His speech also dealt with Indonesia’s attempts to improve its economy. “The welfare of the Indonesian nation will improve so long as the country keeps taking steps toward more liberalization,” the Turkish minister said, adding that Turkey poses a good example for this since it has managed to more than quadruple its exports to $132 billion in just six years.

He also praised the Indonesian economy for its ability to continue growing amid the ongoing global financial crisis, in which a majority of economies worldwide suffered deep recessions.

Çağlayan underlined Turkey’s attempts to diversify its trade relations with alternative markets, rather than ratcheting up most of its focus in European markets. In that sense, the minister noted, countries in the Asia-Pacific region are as significant to Turkey as its neighboring and nearby countries.

The minister also called on Indonesian businessmen to utilize investment opportunities presented by Turkey, especially in the energy business. Turkey plans to spend $130 billion in nuclear power and renewable energy resources in the next 10 years. Çağlayan reiterated his invitation to invest in Turkey, as he does virtually everywhere he goes and at almost all international business meetings he attends.

The minister further provided detailed information pertaining to the investment environment in Turkey, especially mentioning the conveniences and incentives introduced in the Turkish government’s most recent stimulus and incentive packages.

Turkey imports palm oil and rubber from Indonesia while selling primarily flour and iron and steel products. The minister asked the organizers of the forum to create a platform in the next Turkey-Indonesia Joint Economic Committee meeting, which is scheduled to take place in Indonesia in 2010. “Let this platform be an environment in which businessmen from both nations can conduct bilateral business talks and take concrete steps to crystallize business deals and partnerships,” he said.

After the speeches, a deal for the sale of $17.5 million worth of iron and steel was signed between the Turkish importer/exporter Promex and Indonesian officials.

Turkish Transportation Minister: Transportation to Recover with New Investments

D-8 Secretariat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 08:18:48 +0000

Transportation infrastructure investments will help lower costs and boost trade

Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yıldırım said on Thursday infrastructure investments are crucial for the future of the transportation sector. Speaking in Leipzig as the term president of the International Transport Forum (ITF), the minister said investments carry high importance for overcoming the global economic crisis. “Infrastructure investments are very important for the future of the transportation sector,” Yıldırım said.

The ITF meeting is being held at a time of serious economic crisis, Yıldırım noted. “Transportation is important to gain more competitive power in the global market. However, as demand declines and costs rise amidst the crisis, things grow worse for the transportation sector,” he said. “Many companies go bankrupt, and banks face difficulty in providing loans. The sharp decline in demand has negatively affected exports and imports, and growth in transportation has slowed down,” Yıldırım stressed.

Underlining that countries need to introduce effective incentive packages in order to surmount problems, the minister said further infrastructure investments will help lower costs and boost trade. “If the private sector, banks and public institutions work together, they can share costs in the short term and yield fruits in the long term,” he said. “We must refrain from protectionism and focus more on international cooperation, the sole way we can keep further troubles at bay,” he emphasized, adding all countries share a common responsibility and must work to provide sustainable growth in the transportation sector. “From this aspect, the ITF meeting is very timely. We will listen to different views and exchange ideas. Through joint efforts we can retain shrinking confidence in the sector,” the minister added.

D-8 activities in transportation sector is not limited only to air and sea transportation, but as well as land transport. This transportation issue is also one of the D-8 economy cooperation that is explianed in the D-8 Roadmap 2008-2018.

In collaboration with the Turkish DGCA, D-8 will hold a wide range D-8 Summit (in aviation) in Istanbul after Ramadhan (Eid-ul Fitr). Following that event, a D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Transportation will also be held in Istanbul on November 2009.

EU set to lift Indonesian Flag Carrier, Garuda, Ban

D-8 Secretariat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:59:51 +0000

Garuda is deploying its aircraft to more prospective and profitable routes around the world

According to the Financial Times, the European Union is this week expected to lift a two-year ban on Garuda Indonesia, the country’s national airline, paving the way for plans to take the company public on the back of an extensive makeover.

European and Indonesian officials say they are “confident” that Garuda will not be on the EU’s next quarterly list of airlines banned from the region when it is published later this week.

All 51 registered Indonesian airlines were banned in June 2007 following a slew of deadly accidents that exposed systemic flaws in the aviation sector’s supervision as well as problems within airlines.

The incidents included a Garuda crash in Yogyakarta, central Java, in March 2007 in which 21 people were killed. The pilot of that plane has been imprisoned for two years for criminal negligence.

No Indonesian airlines operated flights to the EU at the time, but the EU warned its citizens against flying on Indonesian airlines anywhere.

Since then Indonesia has instituted reform, including passing a new aviation law, grounding airlines such as AdamAir and shaking up regulatory bodies.

Jusman Djamal, Indonesia’s transport minister, said last month that only three of 121 violations found by the EU’s aviation sector audit team in 2007 remained outstanding.

Officials are less certain about whether the ban will be lifted on three other airlines that Jakarta believes are ready to fly to Europe.

Garuda remains one of the few big global airlines whose profits are rising, thanks mainly to robust domestic demand. It has also rescheduled the majority of its $650m of debt and is taking delivery of new, more efficient aircraft.

Garuda’s net profit in the first four months of 2009 was Rp326.1bn ($32m), up 515 per cent from the same period last year. Net profit for 2008 was Rp669bn, against Rp60bn in 2007.

The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines has reported that its 17 members, which include Garuda, made a combined loss of $4.3bn last year. The International Air Transport Association has forecast that the region’s airlines will suffer losses of $1.7bn this year.

Emirsyah Satar, Garuda’s chief executive, said the airline had “come a long way” in the past two years. Technology had been installed on aircraft to monitor pilot behaviour, staff numbers had been cut by 15 per cent to 5,200 and service standards had increased, he said.

If the EU ban is lifted, flights to Amsterdam are set to start early next year, with London and Frankfurt following soon afterwards.

Mr Emirsyah said the government had given approval for Garuda to float a minority of its shares.

“If it hadn’t been for the financial crisis, we’d have wanted to be public by now,” he said. “We now aim to go public in the middle of next year.”

D-8 Secretary General welcomes this news in a very positive resonance. He said that Garuda has proved itself as a professional and capable flag carrier, deploying its aircraft to more prospective and profitable routes around the world.

Turkey and Malaysia, Sign Airlines Agreement

D-8 Secretariat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:17:43 +0000

D-8 has an estimated number of 30 millions migrant workers in the world, and up to 5 millions umrah visitors each year. Malaysia Airlines' network covers 88 international destinations

Turkey’s flag carrier, Turkish Airlines (THY), and Malaysia Airlines have signed a code-share agreement, THY said on in its company news.

THY passengers traveling between İstanbul and the Far East will have a choice of taking more flights every week under the new code-share agreement, which will go into effect on July 1, THY said in a written statement. Under the new code-share agreement, passengers from Kuala Lumpur will be able to connect to THY’s 115 international destinations, including routes to Turkey, Europe, North America, South America, Russia, Central Asia and the Middle East. “Passengers from İstanbul will also be able to enjoy the convenience of Malaysia Airlines’ wide network of connections to Malaysia and other popular destinations in the Asia Pacific region. Malaysia Airlines’ network covers 88 international destinations,” THY said.

D-8 Secretary General, Dipo Alam, bringing into mind the fact that Turkey and Malaysia are member of D-8, said that this news brings an optimistic view that the civil aviation sector in D-8 would gradually be entering in the drive, considering the huge potential that has not been fully worked on in the D-8 region where no less than 900-million-populated market with high potential of frequent travelling trend in the upcoming years.

On top of that, Alam said that D-8 has an estimated number of 30 millions migrant workers in the world, and up to 5 millions umrah visitors each year. This is not to mention around 70 million of tourist that visit D-8 countries annually. “This is a true potential that best to be worked on by our aviation industries,” said Alam, refering to civil aviation players in the D-8 countries.

GAP: A Grain of Hope in the Agricultural Sector of Turkey

D-8 Secretariat — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:18:15 +0000

The GAP project is the fourth-largest regional development programme in the world

In its recent publication, the Oxford Business Group talks to Sadrettin Karahocagil, President of the Turkish South-eastern Anatolia Project (GAP). Karahocagil talks about the importance of agriculture growth for economic development in the south eastern area of Turkey, as well as effort to sustain food security within the country and region. D-8 Secretary General, Dipo Alam, said that the GAP project - being an integrated project with its own economic, social, infrastructural and institutional dimension, is a literal study case for member countries in D-8, to strengthen their food security and boost domestic and foreign investment.

D-8 acknowledged the importance of food security to D-8 economies and reaffirm their commitment to enhance collaborative efforts to increase food production and ensure food security, which came into being as a joint action plan known as “KL-Statement: Initiatives to Address Food Security by D-8 countries”. Alam said a working group on public-private sector partnership in food security was expected to be set up to maintain and develop cooperation among members in order to identify joint-investment potentials in fields such as fertilisers, animal feed, seed and fisheries.

Still quoting Alam, he said, “The GAP project is a good model for our member countries, since it channels the government investment and focuses on the right path that could lead to more jobs opportunities for the people.”

Below is the excerpt of the interview.

By how much has GAP increased agricultural land?
KARAHOCAGIL: The GAP project is the fourth-largest regional development programme in the world. Around 44% of the land in south-eastern Anatolia can be cultivated for agriculture, and the region accounts for more than 10% of the country’s total land. Upon completion, we will have irrigated 1.8m ha of land. We are in the process of irrigating one-seventh of this amount - 272,972 ha - so we still have a lot to do. Half the country’s cotton production comes from there, and other crops, including lentil, soy beans, pistachios and vegetable oils, are being cultivated in this newly irrigated region. At the end of the project the region will account for a huge amount of total agricultural production.

To which areas will the $20bn of government funding be channelled in the coming five years?
KARAHOCAGIL: The action plan announced in 2008 aims to bring greater investment to the physical dimensions of the project. At the end of five years we may be able to irrigate more than lm ha of land. This will be a crucial time and 42.4% of the $20bn invested will go towards irrigation schemes. GAP is an integrated project and it has economic, social, infrastructural and institutional dimensions. A large proportion of the money will go towards health and education projects, including vocational training. We hope to create more than 1 m job opportunities in the region, so we have to invest in human resources. There are 73 main actions including more than 300 sub-actions in the CAP action plan.

How will can agriculture help tackle inflation?
KARAHOCAGIL: In the short term, the high expenditure of the project will push inflation up. In the medium term, we are expecting to help reduce inflation by boosting food supply. The food crisis is a problem affecting the world and especially Turkey’s neighbours. Middle Eastern and North African countries are expected to face serious drought and food shortages in the future. GAP will make the area a food export base for the region. The project is also a powerful tool in tackling the region’s unemployment problem and will increase energy supply through the construction of hydroelectric dams.

What is the government’s strategy for land consolidation and efficient farming practices?
KARAHOCAGIL: In addition to irrigation, the govern¬ment is undertaking land consolidation projects to cre¬ate optimum land sizes. This is dealt with by a separate government institution. We are going to the farmers and deciding together with them. We also have incen¬tives for the region. Investors may receive exemptions from social security premiums on labourers and up to a 50% reduction in energy costs. In addition, it is pos¬sible to get free land for a period of up to 49 years. We are not targeting a particular sector - there are opportunities for agribusinesses of all sizes. For example. Sanliurfa produces 70% of Turkey’s organic cotton, so there is potential for the organic textile industry.

The project is also a powerful tool in tackling the region's unemployment problem and will increase energy supply through the construction of hydroelectric dams

The completion of the GAP project will provide a favourable investment climate for both domestic and foreign investors. We have already received more than $lbn in foreign direct investment in the past two years and more than 100 foreign companies have entered the region from Germany and neighbouring countries. In addition, we have two free zones and 12 organisec industrial zones, and at the beginning of 2009 we expect to see a new set of incentives to attract investors.

What infrastructural improvements are needed?
KARAHOCAGIL:The region is well prepared for export: activities. There are seven airports, including GAP International Airport, which was built in Sanliurfa City, which and has a 4-km runway for cargo planes. We expect to develop cold stores around the airport so it is suit¬able for the export of added-value produce. A six-lane highway connects Sanliurfa to the most important port in the country, will be completed at the end of 2007. and there are plans to improve rail links to the south.

D-8 Secretary General Visited Top Turkish Fertilizer Producer GUBRETAS, Aiming at Food Security Cooperation within D8

D-8 Secretariat — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:40:18 +0000

D-8 and GUBRETAS pledged their affirmation to cooperate more intensely in the fertilizer sector to support D-8 program of food security

D-8 made a courtesy visit to Turkish top rated Fertilizer manufacturer, GUBRETAS, earlier this month. Both pledged their affirmation to cooperate more intensely in the fertilizer sector to support D-8 program of food security.

The Developing Eight Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) — a trade alliance of developing countries comprising the 930 million people of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria and Turkey — earlier this year had a special Ministerial Meeting on Food Security in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to solve the asymmetric situation of the potency of the member countries and its relation to the need to produce enough food by conducting joint investment in the fertilizer industry and other efforts.

Led by D-8 Secretary General, Dipo Alam, the organization met with Mehmet Koca, the member of board as well as the Chief Director at GUBRETAS. The talks commenced on the latest progress that has been made since the Kuala Lumpur meeting, ranging from the Iranian factory purchasing project, the continuation project between Indonesian fertilizer company, PT PUSRI with the Iranian counterpart, as well the the possibility over cooperation expansion with Turkish fertilizer manufacturer.

Koca said that the cooperation between GUBRETAS and Iranian Razi Petrochemical Co. has produced a growth of 372% in 2008. “During 2007 we had growth at 393,9 million TL, while last year in 2008 that number has increased to 1,9 billion TL,” said Koca. GUBRETAS had bought 47,81% of Razi Petrochemical share in May 2008, and has since produced net profit for the first 9 months amounted to 201,7 million TL.

“We are happy with the investment that we had in Iran,” said Koca. GUBRETAS has increased 56,7% of domestic sales to 949,2 million TL, while the export volume has folded 41 times to 484,4 million TL.

GUBRETAS welcomed the offer made by D-8 to intensify deeper cooperation within the member countries, such as Iran, Indonesia, and Nigeria. As transpired in the talk, D-8 will send visibility study of the fertilizer companies in Indonesia, and GUBRETAS shall study it seriously to explore possible cooperation scheme. Dipo Alam also proposed that GUBRETAS consider the opportunity that laid ahead in Indonesia, especially with relation to the investment in the ASEAN fertilizer industry in Aceh, which posses good chance of improvement.

Four of D-8 member states have proven gas reserves that are usable for fertilizer industry: Iran ranks number two after Russia, which reflects 15.7 percent of the world’s total proven gas reserves; Nigeria ranks seventh with 3.0 percent; Indonesia ranks 11th with 1.7 percent; and Malaysia ranks 15th with 1.4 percent of the world’s gas reserves.

If Iranian gas and Nigerian gas could be optimized to produce fertilizer, as planned by the D-8, it is expected that the supply of sufficient fertilizer to developing countries could significantly help feed the world’s hungry people. In addition, for example, trade between Iran and Turkey, Pakistan and Bangladesh will boost the economy of the Mediterranean region, South Asia and Central Asia.

Zorlu Enerji of Turkey Visited Secretariat; Sharpening Energy Cooperation within D-8 Countries

D-8 Secretariat — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:03:29 +0000

Zorlu Enerji made a courtesy visit to the D-8 Secretariat and emphasized the importance of the wind energy project in Pakistan as part of the way to "break the chain" of poverty in developing countries, by providing investment and making growth

Zorlu Enerji made a courtesy visit to the D-8 Secretariat on Wednesday (10/06/2009). Zorlu is the first Turkish company to establish wind farm for power generation in Pakistan, who signed Energy Purchase Agreement with Hyderabad Electric Supply Corporation of Pakistan for purchase of 6 MW electricity generated at the company’s facility in Jhimpir earlier this year.

The Zorlu Enerji wind farm in Pakistan would be one of the cleanest power plants in the country displacing 10,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, as compared to a fossil fuel power plant. Harnessing the strong winds coming from south west, the wind farm is first commercial wind power project of the country, comprising 5 towers in the first phase with an installed capacity of 1.2 MW wind turbine generator per tower.

Zorlu Enerji is a top calibre company in Turkey. It has carried out various projects in the area, such as the construction & operation of two natural gas power plant (capacity 680MW electricity/640Gcal/h heat) in Russia; 6 natural gas power plants (463 MW), 7 hydro, 1 geothermal, 1 gas turbine power plants (141 MW) in Turkey, as well as the Pakistan Wind Power Project of 49,5 MW and planned to be expanded up to 300MW in 2010.

Zorlu emphasized the importance of the wind energy project in Pakistan as part of the way to “break the chain” of poverty in developing countries, by providing investment and making growth. The delegation also discussed various topics including the possibilities of enlargement the project in Pakistan, establishing consortium to further strengthen the financial scheme for upcoming projects, as well as other related issues.

D-8 Organization underlined that there will be an opportunity to cast these issues for discussion at length in the August 2009 Commissioner Meeting in KL, Malaysia, and stressed that a platform such as Working Group in renewable energy to support and sustain the geothermal, hydro, and biodiesel sectors. For the best possible outcome, D-8 shall make necessary steps to actualise the expansion of similar projects within D-8 countries.

“We shall approach the Minister of Energy of Turkey, to support us in promoting the public-private cooperation in energy sector,” said Secretary General of D-8, Dipo Alam.

Alam also offered Zorlu Enerji to take participation in the Energy Exhibition in Indonesia which will be held in 14-17 October in the capital, Jakarta.

Zorlu Enerji delegation was led by Murat Sungar Bursa (CEO of Zorlu Enerji) and Yagmur Ozdemir, as the Project Manager of the wind farm in Pakistan. From the D-8 Secretariat side, Dipo Alam (Secretary General), Kia Tabatabaee (Director), and Esen Gonen (Economist) took part in the discussion.

D-8 Countries Meet in Abuja, Search for Alternative Sources of Power

D-8 Secretariat — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:21:30 +0000

Scientific Research would be required to provide solutions to energy challenges in D-8 Countries

MEMBERS of the D-8 countries, earlier this month converged in Nigeria to find more proactive approaches to the quest for viable other sources of energy for its members.

Delegates from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Nigeria met under the platform of the First D-8 Experts’ Working Group (WG) meeting to work out the role of energy research and development in meeting the D-8 objectives.

Presenting a speech on behalf of Nigeria’s D-8 Commissioner, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr. Wahab Jimoh, stressed that the member countries’ scientific research institutions and universities would be required to serve for providing solutions to challenges that might confront the organisation in its activities with regards to industry, health, energy, science and technology, and related sectors.

He stressed: “This objective is now very much justified as epitomized in the challenges within the energy sector.

“The theme of the Experts’ Meeting, ‘The role of energy research and development in meeting the D-8 objectives’ is appropriate considering global attention to the spiral rise in price of crude oil which reached a peak of about $145/barrel some twelve months ago and its sudden crash to just over &40 /barrel at the moment.”

He continued: “Though a number of D-8 might be naturally blessed with different energy resources, the events of the past twelve months more than ever indicated that the D-8 member states must join the world in providing an affordable sustained energy base and a clean environment. One of the mechanisms for achieving this is through improved and intensified energy research and development efforts.

“It is my conviction that while the D-8 delegates brainstorm in R&D efforts in the traditional areas of coal, oil and gas, nuclear, renewable energy, you would also keep an eye on the emerging new technologies of biofuel, geothermal and hydrogen.”

D-8 Commemorates 12th Anniversary, Looks To Future

D-8 Secretariat — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:37:40 +0000

D-8 and its memberstates continue to provide their best support for the organization in all its pursuits, through active participation in Working Groups and Task Forces

The Developing Eight Countries Organization for Economic Cooperation (D-8) commemorates the 12^th anniversary to the establishment of the grouping in Istanbul on June 15, 2009.

Eight member countries of the Developing Eight Organization’s aims to improve member states’ position in the global economy has grown stronger in its 12^th anniversary this year.

Under the leadership of the Secretary General, Dr. Dipo Alam, who was re-elected unanimously for the next 4 year tenure during the D-8 6^th Summit Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, D-8 has led and made noticeable progresses by taking itself into a higher ground among international organisations. Institutionally, D-8 has also gain stronger presence by a more wider and stronger institutional development, through Statutory Document of the Permanent Secretariat in Istanbul, Turkey. D-8 also has been vitalising D-8 public relations by establishing effective and efficient website for wider public audience.

D-8 Organization has also successfully endeavored to boost scope cooperation ranging from trade to tourism, from energy to civil aviation, and other significant areas through Roadmap for Economic Cooperation which was adopted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July 2008. Total FDI flows of D-8 Countries in 2008 recorded high at 68,1 billion US$, and D-8 Intra Trade of 78 billion US$, with the D-8 total trade of 1,3 trillion US$. To keep the pace of the development, D-8 and its memberstates continue to provide their best support for the organization in all its pursuits, through active participation in Working Groups and Task Forces in respective sectors of development. Currently, D-8 Organization has already signed Preferential Trade Agreements, Customs Cooperation Agreement, and Visa Agreement for businesspersons of the memberstates.

D-8 also gradually expanded its working network with other international organizations, private sectors, and NGOs. Through extensive informational campaign on D-8 Organization, the grouping is now becoming more familiar in the public and global scale-with special emphasize in Turkey-underlining that the organization belongs collectively to each and all member countries, and their peoples. Turkey has been given special highlight due to its role as prime mover of the group. Bearing in mind the trade volume and trade deficit of Turkey lately, D-8 Organization and its market presents outstanding potential for growth.

The D-8 group was established in June 1997 in Istanbul, Turkey, with eight members: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey. Total population of D-8 countries is 930 million.

————- PRESS RELEASE IN TURKISH —————-

D-8 KURULUŞUNUN 12. YILINI KUTLUYOR, GELECEĞE BAKIYOR

İSTANBUL, TÜRKİYE- D-8 Ekonomik İşbirliği Örgütü (D-8) kuruluşunun 12. Yıldönümünü 15 Haziran 2009 tarihinde İstanbul’da anıyor.

D-8′in sekiz üye ülkesinin global ekonomideki pozisyonlarını güçlendirme amacı bu yıl kuruluşunun 12. Yılında artarak devam ediyor.

D-8′in Kuala Lumpur, Malezya’da gerçekleşen 6. Zirve Toplantısında dört yıllığına yeniden ve oybirliği ile seçilen Genel Sekreter Sayın Dr. Dipo Alam önderliğinde D-8, gerçekleştirdiği başarılı program ve projelerle uluslararası örgütler arasında kendisine haklı bir yer edinmiştir. D-8, İstanbul, Türkiye’deki Daimi Sekretarya’nın Statü Belgesinin kabul edilmesi ile kurumsallaşma anlamında önemli kazanımlar elde etmiş, genişlemiş ve güçlenmiştir. D-8 aynı zamanda, geniş halk yığınlarına hitap edebilmek için kurduğu etkin ve verimli web sayfası ile de Örgütün halkla ilişkilerini canlandırmaktadır.

D-8 Örgütü, Temmuz 2008′de Kuala Lumpur, Malezya’da kabul edilen “Ekonomik İşbirliği Yol Haritası” ile işbirliğinin kapsamının ticaretten turizime, enerjiden sivil havacılığa ve daha pekçok önemli alana kadar genişletilmesi ve güçlendirilmesi için yoğun çaba sarfetmektedir. D-8 Ülkelerinin 2008 yılında toplam doğrudan yabancı sermaye yatırımı 68,1 milyar Dolar’a ve D-8 içi ticaret de 78 milyar Dolar (D-8 Ülkelerinin toplam ticaret hacmi 1,3 milyar Dolar’dır) ile tarihi seviyelere ulaşmıştır. Kaydedilen bu gelişmelerin devam edilebilmesi için, D-8 ve üye ülkelerinin, farklı sektörlerde faaliyet göstermekte olan Çalışma Grupları ve Uygulama Timlerinin çalışmalarına aktif katılım göstererek Örgütün hedeflerine ulaşması için destek vermeye devam etmesi beklenmektedir. Halihazırda, D-8 Örgütü üye ülkeleri arasında Tercihli Ticaret Anlaşması, Gümrük İşbirliği Anlaşması ve İşadamları için Vize Anlaşması mevcuttur.

D-8, diğer uluslararası örgütler, özel sektör kuruluşları ve sivil toplum örgütleri ile çalışma alanını da giderek genişletmektedir. D-8 Örgütü için yapılan ve yapılmaya devam edilecek olan kapsamlı bilgilendirme çalışmaları ile, Örgüt gerek kamusal gerek küresel düzeyde tanınırlılığını artırmakta, bu arada Türkiye’ye de 2009-2010 döneminde özel önem verilmektedir. Bu süreçte D-8′in tüm üye ülkelere ve halklarına ait olduğu hususunun da altı çizilmektedir. Türkiye elbette Örgüt içindeki lider rolü dolayısıyla özel bir konumdadır. Türkiye’nin son dönemde gerçekleştirdiği ticaret hacmi ve verdiği ticaret açığı dikkate alındığında D-8 Örgütü’nün ve üye ülke pazarlarının Türkiye’nin ticaret performansının artırılması ve çeşitlendirilmesi için büyük potansiyel sunduğu açıktır.

D-8 Örgütü Haziran 1997′de İstanbul, Türkiye’de sekiz ülke; Bangladeş, Mısır, Endonezya, İran, Malezya, Nijerya, Pakistan ve Türkiye ile kurulmuştur. D-8 Ülkelerinin toplam nüfusu 930 milyondur.