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The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
has been signed after long years of negotiation
by 12 countries including the USA and Japan.
Spanning 40% of the world’s economy, the TPP
has the potential to create a new economic block
by lowering the barriers to trade between these
12 countries. The agreement can also reshape
industries, changing prices for everything from
cheese to cancer treatment.
The President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges
of Turkey (TOBB) M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu has been awarded the highest
medal of merit from France, the Legion d’Honneur. Hisarcıklıoğlu
received the decoration for his contributions to relations between Turkey
and France. Hisarcıklıoğlu was recommended to receive the decoration by
the Union of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chair André
Marcon for his contributions to economic relations between Turkey and
France to the French President François Hollande who approved it.
Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed his pride receiving the decoration from the
Republic of France and said, “I am an entrepreneur, an industrialist.
I’ve believed in the importance of Turkish-French economic and social
relations. Our friendship stretches back 700 years. At the hardest of
times, we worked in cooperation with our French friends. Turkish –
French relations are important for EU, Middle East and world peace. With
this important decoration our responsibilities in strengthening Turkish –
French relations have become even more significant.”
The Ankara Business Community Declaration was
presented by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu at
the Sustainable Land Management Business Forum as
a part of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification
12th Session of the Conference of Parties (COP12). Also
attending the meeting was World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Representative
Violaine Berger and April Group CEO Bey Soo Khiang.
The Ankara Declaration centers on the need for the
business community to have central role in transforming
countries to land-degradation neutral economies.
Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that the UN is aiming for a land-
degradation neutral world by the year 2030.
According to the UN Convention to Combat
Desertification 25% of the arable land in the world is
undergoing degradation and this is causing 40 billion
USD in losses each year, said Hisarcıklıoğlu and went on
to stress the serious effects of land-degradation on both
society and economy.
EKONOMİK
FORUM
129
i
Mehmet Baybulat AŞETEY
TOBB Bilgi Erişim Uzman Yardımcısı
Ô
Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP)
andTurkey
Everything about entrepreneurship
discussed
at g3 Forum
Organized as a part of
the Global Entrepreneurship
Week, the largest event in
Turkey,“Power of the Future:
Entrepreneurs Forum”was
held for the fifth time, bringing
entrepreneurs and candidates
together in Suada, İstanbul.
Hosted by International
Entrepreneurship Center (UGM), the Union of Chambers and Commodity
Exchages of Turkey (TOBB) Women Entrepreneurs Council (KGK), TOBB Young
Entrepreneurs Council (GGK) and GATE; sponsored by Vodafone with the support
of TEB Special Angel Investment Platform, the g3 Forum brought together over
600 attendees from 81 provinces, pairing with mentors in groups of 10.
Forum Chair Gülden Yılmaz stated her opening speech that the golden rule
to entrepreneurship is having a business plan and went on,“Entrepreneurs must
have a well-constructed plan with well-defined income and marketing strategies.
Entrepreneurs must question dogmas, break the mold and see their business and
the world through new eyes in order to grasp business opportunities. An idea,
an enterprise may fail but there is no reason you should fail. You can try what has
never been tried before; you can be different in order to get ahead. Why not?”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
awarded Legion
d’Honneur from France
Large effects of land
degradation to society