No One Was Forced To Come To Egypt

BY VAHAP MUNYAR
HURRIYET- I've been to Cairo three times over the last year. This time I was with the reporters covering President Abdullah Gul, who's in Egypt as the guest of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The plane carrying Gul along with 173 businessmen reached Cairo yesterday. We went directly to the residence of Safak Gokturk, Turkey's ambassador to Cairo. Following a dinner, we talked with Gul about such issues as Turkish-Egyptian relations and political developments in the region.

Besides political issues, I was able to ask Gul a few questions about the economy. I said that Egypt was expecting to attract investment totaling $2 billion from Turkey in a few years and that the textile and ready-wear sector were moving towards making investments in Egypt. Bringing up his ground-breaking for the new Turkish Industrial Zone in Egypt this week, I asked him if it's right for him to seen playing the leading role encouraging investors to invest in Egypt. In reply, Gul stressed that Turkey should take such steps to become a great economic power and global player and that nobody's being faced to come to Egypt. He added that being a global player requires putting such investment opportunities to good use and that we shouldn't fear competition.

Then he spoke more about the new industrial zone, co-organized by Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM) head Oguz Satici and Tunc Ozkan along with their Egyptian partners, which is located in an area covering over 2 million square meters in the October 6 City. He said that when investments there are completed, jobs for 20,000 people will be created and that the positive political impact on Turkey will be immense. Gul also replied to Turkish Clothing Manufacturers (TGSD) head Ahmet Nakkas, who said Anatolia should be promoted first, saying that everywhere in Turkey is already being promoted. He cited how he was asked to support a cement investment in the eastern province of Sirnak, saying that he was closely involved in the issue and worked on it when he was recently in the US. There's been a controversy over Satici's partnership in the industrial zone and how a preliminary contract was signed during a visit to Egypt by State Minister responsible for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen. Now Gul is voicing the same global perspective. I wonder if he will face the same criticism.

Gul also told reporters that an investment was being initiated by Temsa, which is attached to Sabanci Holding, to make buses in Egypt. Gul said that it would start to make buses in Egypt and sell them to countries in the region, which is a very important development. Touting big steps taken by the Turkish businessmen in Egypt, Gul brought up how TAV Airports Holding won a contract to build the new Cairo Airport. I guess the business world will feel the support of the Cankaya Presidential Palace during the years to come as well.

When I brought up how there were 173 exporters on his plane, but how his predecessor Ahmet Necdet Sezer had not traveled with such huge business delegations, Gul just said that their styles might be different and this is his style.