Akçin: “The first Turkish person to go to New York in 1975 was from Malatya”

The President of the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) Malatya Branch Yunus Akçin, who participated in MÜSİAD’s business trip to the USA, stated, ‘Between 1860-1920, 1.2 million people from the Ottoman subjects went to the USA, and it is known that the first Turkish person to go to New York was a Malatya native named Ali Ağa.’ The business forum covering three regions of the United States, panels, networking meetings, and the Turkey-USA Business Forum meeting took place between May 18-25, and Malatya Branch President Yunus Akçin also participated. More than 100 businessmen, along with Malatya MÜSİAD Branch President Yunus Akçin and members, attended the business trip, which was also attended by MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı. Asmalı emphasized that the target for the trade volume with the USA is set at 100 billion dollars and stated that MÜSİAD will support reaching this target. During the visit, the opening of the MÜSİAD Office in New York took place, and the delegation participated in various events in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, where they met with prominent figures in the US bureaucracy and business world. Yunus Akçin, representing Malatya in the Turkish delegation, emphasized the significant importance of this commercial interaction with the USA. Hoping that these visits will contribute to Malatya’s commercial volume, Akçin stated, ‘Between 1860-1920, 1.2 million people from the Ottoman subjects went to the USA, and it is known that the first Turkish person to go to New York was a Malatya native named Ali Ağa.’ Akçin also expressed their satisfaction with Malatya and its people being at the forefront in this field. Akçin mentioned that China is the main supplier of the world’s largest economy, the USA, and pointed out, ‘Considering recent events, it is seen that due to the trade wars between the two countries, the USA is looking for new alternative supplier countries to China, and the country that will integrate the easiest into this situation is Turkey.’ Akçin stated the need to evaluate this opportunity positively, saying, ‘When the exports between our country and the USA in 2023 are around 15 billion dollars and Malatya’s export amount is around 34 million dollars within the total exports, we see that we are at an important point when considering our potential in the world’s largest economy. Focusing on this market by the industrialists and exporters in Malatya who produce will bring great business opportunities. However, an important point to note in the US market is that laws differ between states. Our businessmen should be aware of this situation. For example, while income tax in New York is 25% (the tax rate in Washington can be 30%), it is crucial to choose the right state to do business considering these differences.’ He also mentioned that while Turkey’s exports have grown tenfold in the last 20 years, Malatya’s exports have only increased by 30% in the same period, highlighting the need for ongoing market searches to increase exports and to reveal Malatya’s entrepreneurship and export potential. Akçin also expressed that such business trips will continue uninterruptedly in order to achieve these goals.