KİBAR HOLDING CEO AND ATC VICE-CHAIRMAN TAMER SAKA: “COMMERCIAL COLLABORATION IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN TIES BETWEEN THE US AND TURKEY”

June 2017

In his speech at the 36th Turkish Relations Conference that was held in Washington, Tamer Saka, the CEO of Kibar Holding and the Vice-Chairman of ATC, pointed out that collaboration is of critical importance in order to strengthen ties between the US and Turkey.

The joint conference of the Turkey-US Business Council (TAİK) and the American-Turkish Council (ATC) was held in Washington for the 36th time with the attendance of government officials and prominent businessmen of Turkish and American private sectors. There was a high level turnout with over 400 people from the government and the business world at the Joint Annual Conference, which was carried out with the main theme of "Together Tomorrow."

On the first day of the meetings, expectations regarding Turkey-US relations were addressed. Tamer Saka, the CEO of Kibar Holding which is one of the prominent industrial institutions of Turkey, pointed out that collaboration is of critical importance in order to strengthen ties between the US and Turkey. Saka said, “We need to take advantage of every opportunity to move our mutual economic benefits forward. We can share common ground in order to make sure that the three pillars of Turkey-US relations are strınger than ever: political, military, and commercial ties.”

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Emphasizing that Turkish companies should prioritize research, development and global expansion in their strategic agenda, Saka said: “At the Kibar Group, we take action on this two important issues while creating our investment agenda. In 2011, we founded a joint venture with Turkish Airlines in order to carry out aircraft seat design, production, and sales for the commercial aviation industry. TSI successfully brings together its research, development and design skills with advanced management and production techniques. Our company prioritizes high efficiency, perfect operational management, competitiveness, and environmental consciousness. Thanks to these advanced production and marketing skills, TSI managed to become an approved supplier for Boeing. Today, we are proud to say that the TSI assembly line in Utah serves a US-based global company. This relationship is proof of how the flexibility and the strong production capacities of Turkish entrepreneurs can play an important role in fulfilling the production needs of global companies and finding a place for Turkish companies in the US market as competitive players.”

Mentioning their strategic collaboration with the American Heritage Group in his speech, Saka said, “We started a joint venture with the Heritage Group last year, which is one of the leading institutions in the US regarding environmental services and waste management. Unlike commercial developments with aircraft seats, our main focus now is the Turkish market. Our partnership with the Heritage Group allowed us to bring together Kibar’s industrial know-how and experience in Turkey with our American partner’s expertise in environmental services.”

We Need Guidance to Lead Us

Pointing out that there’s still so much to do despite the successful collaboration between Turkey and the US, Tamer Saka said, “There are great opportunities. Turkey provides access to a region and a local market where the US can use its know-how. We have the necessary skills and the best platform for this journey. However, we need guidance to shed some light on our path and lead us. ”