December 3, 2008<\/span><\/p>\nAtaturk\u2019s legacy remains undiminished.\u00a0 As a soldier who confronted foreign armies, a diplomat who stood toe-to-toe with the Great Powers, and a statesman who molded a modern country, Ataturk is a heroic figure whose vision for Turkey was both sweeping and farsighted.\u00a0\u00a0 He remains an inspiration for those who cherish peace, freedom and democracy, and his ideals serve as a beacon for everyone who dreams of a brighter tomorrow.<\/p>\n
As the U.S. Ambassador, it is only fitting that I return to Anitkabir.\u00a0\u00a0 I too draw inspiration from these columns, and from the memory of this extraordinary leader.\u00a0 As Turkey and the United States work together on the challenges that lie ahead, we can be guided by the principles which Ataturk so eloquently championed.<\/p>\n
In the words of the great Turkish hero and President:\u00a0 \u201cPeace at Home and Peace in the World.”<\/p>\n
James Jeffrey<\/p>\n
Ambassador Jeffrey\u2019s Remarks at Esenboga Airport<\/h2>\n
November 30, 2008
\n<\/span>Ankara, Turkey<\/p>\nHello, I would like to say a couple of things.\u00a0 I\u2019m very very happy to be back in Turkey.\u00a0 Throughout my 31 year career, I have worked on a number of occasions in Turkey, or worked with Turkey.\u00a0 First in Adana, then Ankara and the last time in Ankara was in 1999-2002 as Deputy Chief of Mission.<\/p>\n
Turkey and the United States of America have been friends since 1923 and they have also been allies in Korea and then in NATO for 58 years.\u00a0 We have a special alliance which is important for Ankara and Washington. I am very very glad to be back in Ankara and Turkey. \u00a0Thank you.<\/p>\n
Barack Obama: \u00a0America’s 44th President *<\/p>\n
James F. Jeffrey
\nU.S. Ambassador<\/h2>\n
America will mark an historical transition on January 20 when Barack Obama places his hand on Abraham Lincoln’s bible and takes the oath of office as America’s 44th President. The significance of this transition was best described by Barack Obama himself on election night in Chicago:\u00a0 “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.”<\/strong><\/p>\nIn that same speech Barack Obama drew attention to the challenges ahead, saying: “For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.”\u00a0 These challenges that we face are not America\u2019s alone, and America cannot overcome them alone. Turkey and the United States are already working together to respond to the global economic crisis.\u00a0 No one knows how long or severe this crisis will be, but our countries will confront it with a shared interest in maintaining the free flow of goods and credit.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Turkish economy has come a long way since I last served here in 2001.\u00a0 Turkey is now on the path to EU accession and one of the 20 largest economies in the world.\u00a0 It has successfully completed an IMF program, attracted billions in foreign investment, and undertaken extensive structural reforms, including a major banking reform that created one of the soundest banking sectors among emerging market countries.\u00a0 This dynamism and commitment to reform has made Turkey immensely attractive to U.S. businesses and investors.<\/p>\nU.S.-Turkish trade is still relatively modest at $16.2 billion in 2008, but growing.\u00a0 My government encourages American companies to look at business opportunities in Turkey.\u00a0 One sector where there are many such opportunities is energy.\u00a0 Several U.S. companies have successful energy investments in Turkey and already are contributing to meeting Turkey\u2019s growing energy needs.\u00a0 In addition to electricity generation investments, U.S. companies are involved in exploration.\u00a0 Toreador is conducting exploration activities in the Black Sea, and Exxon Mobil recently signed a deal with TPAO for exploration in the same area.<\/p>\n
We want to find ways to do more. \u00a0The U.S. is committed to helping Turkey strengthen its energy security and meet its needs by diversifying its energy mix with a particular focus on renewable energy sources.\u00a0 We want to establish more efficient and productive financing mechanisms to support Turkish energy projects, especially in light of the global financial crisis.\u00a0 The U.S. Export-Import Bank has financed $1.6 billion in projects in Turkey and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation has supported $500 million worth of projects here.<\/p>\n
American companies are bullish about doing business in Turkey.\u00a0 76% of U.S. companies responding to an American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT) survey said their company\u2019s initial decision to invest in Turkey was a good one.\u00a0 73% said they would recommend investing in Turkey to others.\u00a0 67% said they plan to invest further in Turkey. Those numbers represent a very strong vote of confidence in Turkish workers and the Turkish economy.<\/p>\n
There are, however, areas of concern for U.S. companies and these are reflective, I believe, of the concerns of foreign investors in Turkey in general.\u00a0 Among the problems most often cited are the level of taxation and the compliance burden, and the inefficiency and lack of predictability in the legal system, particularly with regard to intellectual property rights (IPR).\u00a0 Turkey passed some significant tax and IPR reforms in 2008, but more remains to be done.<\/p>\n
Barack Obama made change the hallmark of his campaign, but he also reaffirmed America’s long-standing commitment to open markets, saying:\u00a0 “… we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many.\u201d \u00a0I am confident that America\u2019s commitment to its long-standing economic partnership with Turkey will endure.<\/p>\n
*Published in Businessweek Turkey – January 18, 2009<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
AMBASSADOR Ambassador James F. Jeffrey James F. Jeffrey American Ambassador to Turkey Ambassador James F. Jeffrey was nominated to be Ambassador to Turkey by President Bush in June 2008.\u00a0 He was confirmed by the Senate in October. Ambassador Jeffrey, a career member of the Foreign Service, previously served on detail to the National Security Council […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":782328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89,34],"tags":[4259,708],"class_list":["post-8694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-turkey","category-usa","tag-ataturk-features","tag-james-jeffrey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8694\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/782328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.turkishnews.com\/en\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}