Yavuz Özutku discusses the growing economic relationship between Turkey and Georgia. CLICK HERE or on the photo above for the full interview.

Turkey’s Ministry for Industry and Trade has identified Georgia and five other states as targets for doubling trade and investment by 2010.

The Turkish-American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast United States and an official from the country’s consulate general in New York announced on Aug. 1 a series of initiatives to increase business activity.

Yavuz Özutku, the consulate’s commercial attaché, told GlobalAtlanta that the state was chosen for its location, commercial strength and the number of potential partner companies operating in and around Atlanta.

“Georgia is the heart of the Southeastern United States,” Mr. Özutku said.  “Georgia was one of the states chosen according to economic data about the direction the states are growing.  Trade is not a one-way issue. Turkish companies can make trade here and American companies can find reliable partners in Turkey.”

Kursad Tuzman, Turkey’s minister for industry and trade, is planning a trade mission to Georgia Oct. 5-9 that is to bring four other government officials and 30-50 Turkish companies to the state.

The other states targeted for increased interaction are California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas.

Feryal Hendricks, a management consultant for, Hendricks & Associates, told GlobalAtlanta in a previous interview that the trade ministry is working to increase volume from these states from $10 to $20 billion in the next two years.

Ms. Hendricks is also a voluntary strategic advisor to Mona Diamond, Turkey’s honorary consul in Atlanta.

Georgia has received increased attention from Turkish business officials in the past year as a result of Turkey’s ambitious economic goal. 

Murat Yalcintas, head of the Istabul Chamber of Commerce, the country’s largest business organization with more than 260,000 active members, visited Atlanta in November 2007 to encourage trade and investment.

The Turkish-American chamber was founded last October to help Turkish companies locate in the Southeast and U.S. companies export.

The Atlanta-based chamber is planning a series of monthly seminars with local executives and academics on topics relating to trade between Georgia and Turkey.

The Sept. 4 session is to feature Jim Beach, a professor in Georgia State University’s Institute of International Business, speaking on creative thinking in the business arena.

Mark Towery, managing director of Atlanta-based research and consulting firm Geo Strategy Partners, is to speak Oct. 9 on marketing strategies in North America.

Diane Alleva Cáceres, managing director of trade consultancy Market Access International Inc., is to discuss exporting to Turkey Nov. 6.

The last seminar of 2008 is to feature Christopher Hanks, a lecturer at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, speaking Dec. 4 on developing business plans.

All of the sessions take place at 7 p.m. in the chamber’s offices at Two Midtown Plaza and are open to the public.