Excellencies
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

As the Turkish Chairmanship-in-Office of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, it is a great pleasure for us to welcome you all to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Tax Forum, organized by the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Turkey, in our beautiful city of Antalya.

I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of Finance, for taking the initiative to host the First Tax Forum in the BSEC region, as part of our Chairmanship activities.

Distinguished Participants,

The Black Sea region has always been a priority of Turkish foreign policy. It is a distinct geographical area, which is strategically located at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and the Caucasus. It encompasses an area of approximately 20 million square kilometers with a population of over 330 million. With its significant economic and human potential, as well as vast natural resources, the region presents huge opportunities for all of us.

Bearing this in mind, Turkey took the initiative to launch the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in 1992, as a regional initiative that would contribute to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity by means of economic cooperation and regular dialogue.

As we celebrate the 20th Anniversary this year, we are pleased to see that the BSEC has become the most institutionalized and inclusive economic organization of our region. Today, the Black Sea region represents 7.6% of the world’s economy. Its GDP grows 6% annually and total GDP amounts to 3.4 trillion USD. Moreover, the interest of the international community towards this region has grown significantly, and BSEC is viewed by the international community as a unique and credible partner. Hence, there are 17 observers and 16 Sectoral Dialogue Partners of the BSEC.

It is against the backdrop of these achievements that Turkey hosted the 20th Anniversary Summit Meeting of the Heads of State and Government of BSEC Member States, in Istanbul, in June 2012. At the Summit we adopted the Istanbul Declaration, where all member states reaffirmed their commitment at the highest level to further strengthening their cooperation within BSEC.

To this end, a new “BSEC Economic Agenda Towards an Enhanced BSEC Partnership” was also adopted at the Summit. This document provides a roadmap outlining the framework for joint action that is needed to give new impetus to economic cooperation in the region. In other words, the Economic Agenda sets out a new vision for the role and strategy of BSEC including the promotion of cooperation with our international partners such as the United Nations, European Union, OECD and others. In the coming months and years, we expect the economic dimension of the Organization to be further reinforced with more project-oriented initiatives and actions.

That said, BSEC cannot be confined to economic cooperation. Its potential goes much beyond that. In today’s world, concepts such as democratization, pluralism, sustainable development, intercultural dialogue are gaining importance. The need to bring solutions to the problems on the basis of international law and effective multilateralism has become more evident.

That is why the consultation mechanisms within the BSEC should also help us in tackling common challenges.

We should keep in mind that the BSEC region is the lynchpin between Europe and Asia. The multiple transformations taking place here have a direct bearing on the membership of this organization. The evolution of the integration within the European Union, or the historical awakening of the Arab world, for instance, are all going to have significant repercussions in the Black Sea area, situated in the epicenter of Eurasia.

On its part, Turkey is making every effort to contribute to enhancing confidence and cooperation in this wide region. We are becoming increasingly active in our foreign policy, starting with our neighbors and reaching out to far-away geographies and international organizations. In all these endeavors, our driving goal is to help generate peace, stability and prosperity in regional and global terms.

For instance, we do not see our neighbors as possible or actual threats, but view them as partners of dialogue and cooperation. It is with this conviction that during the last ten years, we actively pursued to capitalize on every opportunity to enhance political dialogue, deepen economic interdependence and increase mutual understanding. This is also precisely what stands behind our “zero problem with neighbours’’ approach. This is not a time-bound objective, rather a vision aiming to solve problems through dialogue and cooperation.

Besides bilateral relations, we also attach great importance to regional ownership. The BSEC is a prime example of what we could achieve as partners. This is why you see Turkey either leading or taking a major part in a variety of regional cooperation schemes, ranging from the Southeast European Cooperation Process to the Economic Cooperation Organization.

We also try to help conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts in our region through several mediation activities and regional cooperation initiatives. In other words, we are committed to play a constructive role in helping to address all conflicts and tensions in our region that hamper the potential of cooperation and development. The trilateral cooperation mechanisms we have launched between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia in the Balkans for instance, or between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the heart of Asia are all cases in point. Likewise, we play an active role in Africa between Sudan and South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as in Somalia. Whenever and wherever we have an added value, we do not shy away from taking on responsibility.

That brings me to another emerging aspect of our foreign policy, which is its global aspect. Indeed, in today’s globalizing world, no country can pursue its goals and objectives in a narrowly-defined regional scale. The increasing number of partners and observers of the BSEC from all corners of the world is a telling example of this reality. With this understanding, Turkey also increases its presence and network of relationships in relatively distant geographies, like Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

Equally important for us is to complement this expanded horizons of our foreign policy with a growing effectiveness in multilateral fora. This is why you see Turkey increasingly active in international organizations like the UN and G-20 or regional organizations like the African Union, ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Our experience in the BSEC encourages us to seek engagement with all regionals organization and take part in various cooperation schemes.

We also try to address global issues through global initiatives such as the Alliance of Civilizations, the Mediation for Peace or Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, both of which are co-sponsored by Turkey. Our increasing foreign assistance to more than 100 countries in the world and the leading role we have assumed in helping the Least Developed Countries are also reflection of the same spirit and commitment.
In short, whatever has led us to pioneer and contribute to the BSEC for the last 20 years is now driving us to wider goals and ambitions. Cooperation, ownership, dialogue and integration are key words in our foreign policy. So is commitment, vision, progress and active involvement.

Distinguished Participants,

Before concluding, I would like to say a few more words with respect to the specifics to our BSEC Chairmanship and the significance of this very meeting.
As you all know, during our chairmanship, we have been focusing on cooperation areas such as transport, trade and investments, renewable energy, combating organized crime, education and civil society, as well as strengthening the Organization and its cooperation with international partners.

In this context, maintaining a sound financial system across the BSEC region with a view to fostering growth and prosperity is of utmost importance for Turkey. Because, in today’s fast changing economic, social and political environment, financial issues have become major sources of concern not only for the BSEC region but for the entire world.

In light of the ongoing global economic and financial crisis, an effective cooperation is needed among the region’s financial institutions and fiscal authorities to tackle this common threat. Indeed, there is now an increased need for strengthened policy actions and greater ability to provide regional responses to global challenges.

The tax systems of BSEC Member States deserve special importance in this regard. An effective taxation system is one of the primary mechanisms for sustainable economic growth. Building a fair and efficient tax system and ensuring its clarity, predictability and stability are essential for improving business and investments in the BSEC countries.

In this regard, I am confident that this Forum will provide an excellent opportunity to strengthen our cooperation and contribute greatly to building a more investment and business friendly environment in the BSEC region. We also hope that this Forum, the first of its kind, becomes a regular meeting of every Chairmanship-in Office of the BSEC.

In concluding my words, I would like to welcome you once again in our country and wish you every success in your deliberations.

Thank you for your kind attention.