HSBC AND THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN TURKEY SIGN AGREEMENT TO SUPPORT COMMERCIAL TIES BETWEEN UK AND TURKEY

A new British Business Centre in Istanbul has been established by the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey and HSBC Turkey to provide practical business support services to businesses working in both Turkey and the UK.

A strategic partnership agreement has been signed between HSBC and the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey in order for the British Business Centre to provide consultancy services to UK companies that operate in, or aspire to enter, the Turkish market. This is to support development of commercial ties between the UK and Turkey.

The opening ceremony of the British Business Centre, held on 20 August 2014, saw attendance by Chris Gaunt, Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey, Martin Spurling, Group General Manager & CEO, HSBC Turkey, and Rafe Courage, Deputy Consul-General and Head of the Economic & Prosperity Team at the British Consulate-General in Turkey.

Chris Gaunt, Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey, thanked HSBC, as well as members of the Chamber, for their contributions to the new British Business Centre. Gaunt said: ‘‘The new business centre will serve as the office for British companies doing business in Turkey, and will support and add value to their activities in the country.’’

Martin Spurling, Group General Manager & CEO, HSBC Turkey, said: ‘‘By leveraging its global network and expertise, HSBC continues to support UK companies entering or aspiring to enter the Turkish market. Turkey is one of 21 priority markets for HSBC investment globally. The British Business Centre showcases our effort to strengthen these bilateral ties and reinforces our commitment to become Turkey’s leading international Bank. Moreover, this project is part of a global initiative between HSBC and UK Trade and Investment that has already been implemented in Poland and China, so we are confident that our efforts to help the Turkish economy prosper through this initiative will prove successful.’’

Rafe Courage, Deputy Consul-General and Head of the Economic & Prosperity Team at the British Consulate-General in Turkey, also strongly welcomes the establishment of the British Business Centre at the British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey. Courage noted this is an important further step in the development of the services offered to UK-based companies that either want to research the Turkish market, increase their existing exports to Turkey, or develop a permanent presence in the country.

The British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey - BCCT

The British Chamber of Commerce in Turkey (BCCT), founded in Istanbul in 1887 by a group of British businessmen, is the second-oldest British bilateral chamber of commerce outside of the UK. The chamber provides networking for members to develop commercial relations and acts as a bridge for a better understanding of business opportunities, culture and trends. BCCT has developed into one of the key players in the promotion of UK-Turkish business and is strategic partner with UK Trade & Investment representatives in the British Consulate General in Istanbul. It is also a member of the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe (COBCOE).

The HSBC Group

HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from over 6,300 offices in 75 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,758bn at 31 March 2014, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations.