Turkey to promote ‘green future’ at China Expo

ISTANBUL

Turkey will promote a green, sustainable future at the Beijing 2019 EXPO, where the main theme of the event is “Live Green, Live Better,” Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said on April 12 in Istanbul at a press conference where she shared the details of Turkey’s preparations and participation.

“The Turkish theme at the expo will be ‘Welcoming the Future with Green.’ Sustainable development and sustainable future have become a shared value in the world. We want to leave a mark, send out a message to the world at the 2019 International Horticultural Exhibition. We will have a strong presence at the event to show our work for a more livable world,” she told journalists and other attendees.

The minister noted that 16 million people are expected to visit the expo this year and attendees from more than 100 countries and international institutions will be there.

The expo will start on April 29 and close its doors on Oct. 7.

“We believe attending such expositions helps to promote our country’s success in the economic and political areas in a much more effective way,” Pekcan said, adding that Turkey first attended the international expo in 1851 organized in London.

The upcoming event provides an important opportunity to promote the quality of Turkish products and is an impressive expression of the Turkish-Chinese friendship, according to the minister.

During the event, a wide range of Turkish products, from jewelry to hazelnuts and olive oil, will be on display, she noted.

The expo will not only help to promote Turkish products, but also contribute to Turkey’s tourism activity, Pekcan said, adding that during the event a specific date is allocated for a participating country to organize special events to promote themselves.

“Turkey’s ‘national day’ is July 1. We have made our preparations for this special day,” she noted.

At the end of the expo, Turkey will donate its pavilion to China as a sign of the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, according to the minister.

Tarık Sönmez, commissioner general of the Turkish section of the Expo 2019, informed that Turkey is allocated an area of 2,400 square meters to set up its pavilion.

The Turkish section will feature a replica of the world-famous ancient temple of Göbeklitepe, a tunnel of endemic plants from Anatolia and an “Innovation and Sustainability Space,” he said.

The architectural structures which reflect the unique aspects of Turkey’s seven regions will also be on display during the expo, Sönmez added.