SABİH AKAY Economic and Commercial Attaché of Brussel Region
THERE IS A LONG-STANDING COMMERCIAL COOPERATION BETWEEN BELGIUM AND TURKEY.
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After serving at various top-level positions in the Ministries of Belgium, Sabih AKAY has come back to Turkey as the Economy and Commercial Attaché of the Capital Area of this country from Brussels where he went for education 35 years ago. He has been making great effort to make Belgian companies establish partnership and make business with Turkish companies for five years. He has created around 250 million Euro of business volume by ensuring 80 Belgian companies to invest in Turkey or make business in Turkey as of today. Sabih AKAY; who has arranged various economical missions, seminars within this period and has also designed original projects such as establishing “Kardeş Belediye Protokolleri” (Beyoğlu/Schaerbeek) and setting a “Brussels Street” in Istanbul; has been awarded with a plaquette by National Olimpics Committee of Turkey in the category of “Social Achievement”last year for his studies that modernizes the economy and commerce. Achievements of Sabih AKAY has also attracted interest in the Belgian press. “Le Soir”, the most widely circulated paper of Belgium, was mentioning about him when Turkey obtained a negotiation date from EU and it was written that about 250 Turkish company got in touch with Belgian companies during this period. Furthermore, “Trends-Tendances”, one of the most serious economy magazine of Belgium, was talking about the achievements of Sabih AKAY in economic missions and added that these achievements are important steps to attract foreign investors to Turkey. Sabih AKAY, who generally gets medium enterprises which we call KOBI together, arranges meetings with the companies in Brussels in order that Belgians make business in Turkey. Having conducted effective coordination studies to make important Belgian companies such as Trademart, Le Four Industriel Belge, ILPA, STIB penetrate into Turkish market and intensify their activities for about five years; Sabih AKAY has also made numerous Belgian KOBIs make agreements with Municipalities and well-known Turkish companies. On the other hand, in order to make many social and environmental projects of many Turkish companies and municipalities benefit from European Union funds, he also directs IBF, a Belgian company which is expert in these matters, to these projects. Stating that what makes Belgians think most about the investment and partnership is the conflicts after the establishment of the company, payment troubles and bank guarantees, “Belgians are serious and hardworking people. There is a long-standing commercial cooperation between Turkey and Belgium. For example the streetcar in Istanbul and steel columns of Feshane in Golden Horn was built by Belgians. There is a commercial volume that should not be underrated. We can increase this by establishing an environment of mutual trust.” said Sabih AKAY.