24 September 2013 – Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary for the Foreign Trade Service Corps Josephine Romero visited three key cities of Turkey - Izmir, Istanbul and Ankara - from August 28 to September 08 to identify market opportunities for Philippine products and services in Turkey and to encourage more Turkish investments in the Philippines

During the said visit, Assistant Secretary Romero called on the local government officials of Izmir and Istanbul to impress upon the latter the importance of strengthening the economic partnership between the Philippines and Turkey. She also met with officials and members of the Aegean Chamber of Industry, Izmir Chamber of Commerce and the Ankara Industrialists and Businessmen Association (ASAD) to share the positive developments on the Philippine economy and the advantages of investing in the Philippines.

Assistant Secretary Romero also met with an official from Turkey's Ministry of Economy to jumpstart the scheduling of the inaugural Philippines-Turkey Joint Committee on Economic and Technical Commission (JCETC). The planned bilateral conference aims to create a framework for closer economic ties between the two countries.

While in Ankara, Assistant Secretary Romero delivered a presentation in a business conference attended by around 30 businessmen. During her presentation, Assistant Secretary Romero highlighted the noteworthy performance of the Philippine economy and invited the participants to invest in the Philippines especially in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, IT/BPO and tourism. The said business conference was organized by ASAD and Tandogan Group, a Turkish consultancy firm, with the assistance of the Philippine Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. END