The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia State in Germany, Hendrik Wüst, praised the success of Turkish-origin businesspeople in his state, saying, “Continue to write your common story. This is beneficial for Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Turkey.”
Wüst spoke at the 8th Turkish-German Economy Day held in Düsseldorf.
Speaking about the strong relationship between Turkey and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Wüst stated that in the 1960s, people from Turkey came to Germany and made sacrifices for the “future of their families.”
Wüst stated, “Working for one’s own family. Seizing opportunities and doing everything possible. This is also the motivation in Germany. In the 1950s, my parents did the same. This motivation also connects us to each other.”
Wüst mentioned that today there are 1 million people of Turkish origin living in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, of which 500,000 are German citizens. He said, “You are advancing Germany. I thank you for this.”
Highlighting the prioritization of “education” by the government of North Rhine-Westphalia, Wüst reported that they allocate 40% of the state budget to it.
Hendrik Wüst evaluated, “This is not perfect. We have problems in our school system. There are children who do not speak German. Therefore, we prioritize education. We need to offer opportunities to these children.”
Wüst explained that significant opportunities are presented in artificial intelligence and renewable energy, mentioning that the American technology company Microsoft has invested in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the state is the most popular among foreign investors in Germany.
Stating that Germany’s prosperity is based on international trade, Wüst said, “Turkey ranks in the top five in our foreign trade. The European Turkish Businesspeople and Industrialists Association (ATİAD) plays a significant role in bringing Turkish and German businesspeople together. When we trade together, North Rhine-Westphalia and Turkey win. Continue to write this common story. This is beneficial for all the people you are responsible for, Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Turkey.”
“Discussing the update of the Customs Union agreement with Turkish officials” German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, in a video message sent to the 8th Turkish-German Economy Day, mentioned that German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier accompanied him during his visit to Turkey on April 22-24, expressing that they were welcomed with great hospitality in Turkey and enjoyed the visit.
Lindner, who had the opportunity to speak with Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek during the visit, wished success in Turkey’s program to overcome inflation difficulties and achieve economic growth and in its structural reforms.
Highlighting the very successful stories written by people of Turkish origin in Germany, Lindner said, “The first thing that comes to mind in these successes is BioNTech. They made a significant contribution to overcoming Covid-19. BioNTech became an indicator of success not only for people coming from Turkey in academia but also in the business world.”
Reminding that the number of foreign investors in Germany has been declining for six consecutive years, Lindner said this indicated the need to change some things.
Lindner stated that they had discussions with Turkish officials regarding the update of the Customs Union agreement between Turkey and the European Union, emphasizing their desire to act more quickly regarding Turkish citizens obtaining visas.
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç