Chinese, Turkish NGOs vows tighter relationship

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Chinese and Turkish speakers at China-Turkey NGO Conference. Company photo

China’s non-governmental organization the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD) and the Marmara Group Foundation have joined forces to strengthen exchanges and cooperation.

The role that China-Turkey friendly organizations play in bilateral relations and regional stability was discussed in a forum under the organization of CPAPD, with the co-organization of the Istanbul Consulate-General of China and the Marmara Group Foundation.

CPAPD’s President Han Qide, Vice-President He Jun, Executive Council Member Chen Yongchuan, Secretary-
General Zhu Rui, retired Turkish ambassador Ertuğrul Kumcuoğlu, China’s acting Consul General to Istanbul Tian Kaisheng, Professor Sema Kalaycıoğlu, and journalist and former lawmaker Ahmet Tan attended the China-Turkey NGO Conference, alongside a number of NGO representatives, academics, and press members.

Both Turkish and Chinese participants emphasized that only diplomatic relations wouldn’t be enough to determine relations between the two countries, but that relations between people through NGOs would also contribute to the ties. President of the Marmara Group Foundation Akkan Suver said they believed that Turkey held logistical advantages for China. “Chinese investors could invest in Turkey, which got advantages from signing the Customs Union Agreement with the EU, and use Turkey as a stepping stone to Europe,” he said. He also added that to increase bilateral trade between China and Turkey to $50 billion in 2015 and to $100 billion in 2020 was the policy of the Turkish government. Praising mutual investment and cooperation the Chinese delegation voiced their hopes for further economic and commercial cooperation.