Istanbul-Houston flights ‘boost trade’

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Houston Mayor Annise Parker(C), TUSKON Vice President Kısacık(R) and former US Ambassador Aguirre attend the meeting. Company photo

Direct flights by national carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) between Istanbul and Houston, which started on April 1, have positively contributed to trade between Turkey and the U.S. state of Texas, the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) has said during Houston Mayor Annise Parker’s visit to Istanbul.

“Houston has become a very important trading point for Turkish exporters, thanks to THY,” said Mehmet Büyükekşi, the head of TİM, during their meeting with Houston Delegation of Economy, Trade and Investment on April 17.

Parker said direct flights between Istanbul and Houston would reinforce economic relations between Turkey and the United States, speaking at the meeting attended by businesspeople from Texas and Turkey organized by the Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey (TUSKON).

She invited Turkish businessmen to benefit from the opportunities and do business in Houston, noting that Houston was the fourth largest export harbor of the U.S and that it was a manufacturing center.

Parker and TUSKON Vice President İsmail Hakkı Kısacık signed a cooperation deal, with Parker stating that they wanted to find bigger business opportunities thanks to this deal in the coming years.