The Turkish business community on Friday launched a major drive to popularise their construction and building products with a view to penetrating the East African market.

 

Turkish Ambassador to Kenya Deniz Eke said Turkey manufacturers were ready to form partnerships with Kenyan traders to promote their products.

 

Ambassador Eke said the deal would involve exploring ways to make the products locally.

 

She said that this would create a ready platform for skills' transfer, enabling Kenyans to learn Turkish engineering in the building, construction and infrastructure sector.

 

Ambassador Eke who spoke at the KICC ballroom during the launch of the four-day Turkish Fair, said their presence in Kenya hardly three weeks after a failed military coup was evidence that the Turkish economy had started picking up where all activities were back to normal.

 

"Turkey is very safe and I urge Kenyans to travel to Turkey like they did before for tourism and for business. We are here to cement existing ties as pledged by our two governments," said the Ambassador.

 

Industrialisation Director Erastus Kimuri said the Kenyan government was keen to enhance the business partnerships, adding that Kenya was ready to facilitate trade between the two countries.

 

Mr Kimuri said Kenya's position as the connection point to the East African community created a suitable avenue for Turkish traders to break even via partnership with Kenyan traders.

 

The event was organized by Turkel Fair Organisation which brought in 40 exhibitors in interior design, electrical cables, tiles, plumbing products, generators, doors among other construction materials.

 

Ambassador Eke, who was accompanied by the Turkish Commercial Counselor Selman Kurt, said Turkey manufacturers and businesspeople were ready to offer Kenyan contractors access to Turkish engineering skills, materials and technology that had also been successfully deployed in Europe and the Middle East countries.

 

Source : allafrica.com