She is “Zuhal Mansfield” who stated in an exclusive interview with “The Chamber” that the Turkish investments in Egypt reached more than $ 1.5 in various fields of industry and trade, including 8000 Egyptian labor.

 On the establishment idea of the Council, she said

Turkish Egyptian Business Council was established in 2005. It is like the seed of Bamboo which grows within 5 years and reaches 26 m. through 6 weeks. Similarly, we started six years ago and the seed was open up, thus trade volume between the two sides is targeted to grow more and more to amount $ 5 billion in 2011

In your highly perspective, Ms. Mansfield, do you think that Turkish-Egyptian Council has managed to achieve its goals for which it was established?

Trade volume rose from zero to a billion and half dollars. About 8000 Egyptian employees are working in the Turkish Industrial zone with total investment around $ 4 billion.   The volume of Egyptian exports of industrial raw materials for this zone amounted to $ 2 million.

The economic legislation provided by the Egyptian government has contributed to investment stability and attracted more capital to Egypt. In fact, Egypt is always keen on improving the investment climate as it deals with the investors as they were its guests. It offers them facilities to encourage injection millions of dollars, in the manner that reflects, by the end, on the economic growth and creation of job opportunities for thousands of Egyptians  

It is a ripe time for increasing trade exchange between Egypt and Turkey, after recording $ 4 billion recently, especially by signing free trade agreements between the two countries, thus it is a golden opportunity for cementing the relations. Since February 2011, the Turkish-Egyptian Business Council seeks to organize a number of meetings and forums between the businessmen of the two sides, within the framework of setting up industrial projects and building joint trade relations.  

 How many businessmen are there in Turkish- Egyptian Business Council?

The Council comprises of around 400 senior and most powerful businessmen from the two countries including the Council’s Committee of Foreign Economic Relations.   It is like a small atomic bomb with a great influence.

Ms. Mansfield, Does the Council have ideas and studies to benefit from the youth potentials of Egypt and Turkey?

Youth represents 82 millions of the total manpower in Egypt and Turkey; 42 in Egypt and 40 million in Turkey. Ideas and studies about youth labor are a lot. Through exchanging experiences and conducting courses in fields of tourism and industry, we can profit from the youth of the two sides. For instance, Egyptian young people who work in winter can work in Turkey’s tourism in summer which is the season of tourism unlike Egypt where winter is the season of tourism so as to make use of experience and provide more jobs without losing their jobs in the off-spring tourism.  

Does the Turkish-Egyptian Council have expansion plan, for example in Africa?

Yes, we are always seeking to work on the most achievable issues, so, we hold meetings to reach what we are planning for through communication in order to stand on the reality of trade exchanges and what are needed to expand. Therefore, we identify kinds and sizes of goods that are needed to be promoted, and sure we will harvest fruitful outcomes. By the end, we yield the bamboo perennial. 

Taking the African region into consideration as an investment hub is a matter of importance for the investors, due to its success in realizing high growth rate over the past years and its endeavors to achieve regional cooperation through signing free trade agreements and facilitating free movement of goods. Trade volume in the African region is expected to be $ 2.6 trillion by 2020.

Turkey is giving due attention to Africa. It established 20 Turkish embassies in Africa, in addition to supporting the airlines of most countries of the continent.   Trade transactions between the two sides amounted to about $ 15 billion. Mega Turkish projects in fields of roads and bridges in both the Sudan and Nigeria had been carried out. In general, the Turkish investments in Africa amounted up to $ 30 billion.

There are hindrances stand block in the face of achieving the Council’s goals, in your point of view, Ms. Zuhal, what are the most drastic constraints?

Only living dead who do not encounter up problems. For example, if you buy a car and do not use it, you would not face up any troubles. But when you use it, you will find some difficulties; gasoline runs out or car tire gets damaged, and hence you begin to think of finding solutions. Similarly, there are some problems and restraints but not very serious. Egyptian government is striving to remove all problems and obstacles in order to promote investment and attract investors. As Turkey has the same culture and adopts the same approach, simple impediments can never live longer. Therefore, the council is always keen on getting rid of them as plants are purified from harmful weeds.

Being a businesswoman and the Chairperson of powerful Business Council, how do you feel?

I feel proud and I thank those who are contributing to this development, praying to god to increase their profits because we are in Egypt and Turkey encourage investment by this approach to achieve prosperity.

We were pleased to meet with Ms. Zuhal Mansfield in this interview through which we realized that she is the right person to the position of presidency of Turkish-Egyptian Business Council