During a meeting in the Turkish capital of Ankara, ICC Chairman Marcus Wallenberg told Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan that WTO trade talks must be revived, because an ambitious outcome to these discussions is the best policy for continued global economic growth.
 
"The current impasse in the trade talks is pushing countries to adopt more protective trade and economic policies," Mr Wallenberg told reporters from the Turkish media. "Bilateral trade talks will not foster development and generate wealth to the extent the WTO process will."

Turkey's Minister of Trade and Industry, Ali Coskun, expressed solidarity with Mr Wallenberg's position in the meeting, at which ICC Secretary General Guy Sebban was also present. Mr Coskun agreed with ICC that the stalled talks will damage the world economy and undermine trade liberalization.

Mr Sebban said Turkey had made great strides at modernizing its economy. "Turkey is a real success story," Mr Sebban told the prime minister. "The country has implemented a number of reforms which have boosted competition and liberalized markets. The Turkish economy is in much better shape today than it was 20 years ago."

Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan affirmed the country's commitment to further development of the private sector.

Mr Wallenberg also stressed that national governments must do more to strengthen enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights. He outlined ICC's initiative to help governments and businesses improve IP enforcement, Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP).

Mr Wallenberg said counterfeiting and piracy have led to massive losses in jobs and tax revenues. Fake drugs and counterfeit airplane parts pose major risks to human health and safety, he added. Mr Wallenberg went on to say counterfeiting saps the business community of the incentive to invest and innovate and added that organized crime is involved in the practice.

Mr Babacan expressed his support for BASCAP, and pointed out that he has taken part in the global discussions on deploying information and communication technologies to spur development.

ICC Turkey Executive Committee Chairman and World Chambers Federation Chairman Rona Yircali hosted the visit of Mr Wallenberg and Mr Sebban, in tandem with Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey.

Speaking at a dinner with business leaders and foreign diplomats, Mr Wallenberg commended ICC Turkey for its role in advancing ICC's work and said he looked forward to July 2007, when the World Chambers Congress will be held in Istanbul. Organized by ICC's World Chambers Federation, the biannual congress allows chamber of commerce leaders to meet their international peers and share experiences and best practices on grass roots issues.