'We need raw materials and you can provide them'

RAW MATERIAL exporters from South Africa have an open market available to them in Turkey where industrial development is taking place at a rapid rate.
There is tremendous potential for this country in this respect, and the Turkish authorities, both at government and trade section levels, will welcome newcomers, says Ishak Alaton, one of the country's foremost industrialists and developers, who was recently appointed South Africa's honorary consul, based in Istanbul.
There are multi-million dollar opportunities, such as huge power generators being built on the Black Sea which will also require the use of the far cheaper priced South African coal, he says.
Turkish companies are also making great strides in developing industrial and commercial openings in central Asian states which were once part of Communist Russia, and here too, co-operation between them and South African providers is a golden opportunity for your country.
Alaton was part of a Turkish delegation visit to South Africa last week, which was accompanied by South Africa's ambassador to Turkey, Tom Wheeler, who is based in the capital of Ankara, the chairman of the Turkish/SA Business Council Naceet Colpan and Council executive member Ayse Kolat.
The delegation pointed out that Turkey had changed in the past decade from a purely agricultural country dependent on the import of necessary goods from the outside world to an emerging industrial giant in the European and Asian scene.
We have experienced a 7% growth in this manner in the past year, and the total trade with South Africa alone was R254 million in 1997, said Colpin.
Companies in South Africa can develop co-operative efforts with Turkish firms with long term objectives and find themselves benefiting tremendously as a result.
He had one message for South Africa as a whole - accept privatisation wherever possible.
Privatisation is one of the most important tools of the free market, and the new policy of the Turkish government in this respect has shown the value of accepting it.
But we need raw materials, and you can be the provider.
Alaton gave an example of what he termed the excellent but little known quality of South African goods.
A new airport was constructed in one of the former Russian states recently, and tenders were put out for a suitable cladding material to cover the main buildings. A South African company, Gleneagles, came up with the answer and provided a covering far superior to any other on offer. It earned them a contract worth US$1,5 million.
I think there can be many more like that in this country.
BY LEONARD NEILL