The Turkish government has affirmed its commitment to increase its investment portfolio in the Ashanti Region as it seeks to explore business opportunities in varied areas.
These include tourism and culture, agriculture, education, construction, and trade.

Madam Ozlem Ergun Uluesen, the Turkish Ambassador to Ghana, said the underlying agenda aimed at increasing Turkey’s investment presence and visibility in the Region for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Paying a courtesy call on the Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, in Kumasi, she said the Region remained critical in the development of the entire country, considering its geographic location, tourism, and cultural potentials.

“There are greater opportunities that both countries can benefit from,” the Turkish Ambassador emphasized, assuring that her office would collaborate with the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in achieving her country’s objectives.

The visit, among others, was to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries, with emphasis on how to increase Turkey’s investments in the Region due to its history as a vibrant commercial hub in the West African sub-Region.

Under this new friendship and in furtherance to deepening investment partnership, the RCC would periodically meet with investors from Turkey under the auspices of the Turkish Embassy to brainstorm on taking advantage of new business opportunities in the Region.

Particularly on tourism, Madam Ergun Uluesen expressed her government’s willingness to collaborate with authorities in the Region, to explore tourism-related opportunities for the socio-cultural and economic benefits of both countries.

She said globally countries were diversifying their economies and the tourism sector had been widely viewed as an alternative game-changer.
Describing Ashanti as peaceful and serene for business and investment, the Turkish Ambassador added that her country would focus on building its investment base in the Region.

The Turkish Embassy would also strive to sell the Region to its business community in Turkey to enable them to invest in Ghana.

Mr. Osei-Mensah recounted the socio-economic and cultural relations between the two countries, which he noted, had existed since the early 1960s till date.

The Regional Minister said that Ghana had greatly benefited from the investments from the Turkish government, which had aided the country’s drive to economic emancipation.

While expressing the Region’s appreciation to the Turkish government, Mr. Osei-Mensah said the corporation between the two countries should move beyond importation to making Ghana their base in industrialization investment.

According to the Regional Minister, the Region had all the supporting pillars for business, citing the centrality of the Region as vital and conducive for effective business transactions.

He assured the Ambassador of the government’s commitment to collaborate with the Turkish government to explore areas that would build the economic base of both countries.