The Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce (GTO) hosted the Republic of Uzbekistan at its Country Days event. The event was organized in collaboration with the Uzbek Embassy in Ankara and with the support of Gaziantep's chambers and commodity exchanges.

In cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Ankara and with the support of Gaziantep Chamber of Industry, Gaziantep Commodity Exchange, Nizip Chamber of Commerce, Nizip Commodity Exchange, and İslahiye Chamber of Commerce, Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce (GCC) hosted Uzbekistan as a part of Country Days events.

The event brought together H.E. Ilham Haydarov, Ambassador of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Ankara; Mr. Alijon Aliyev, First Secretary for Trade; Dr. Abdulmelik Tuyçibayev, Advisor to the Ambassador; and business representatives from Gaziantep. Discussions focused on Uzbekistan–Turkey economic relations, investment opportunities in Uzbekistan, and Uzbekistan’s business culture.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Tuncay Yıldırım, Chairman of the Board of Directors Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the strong ties between Turkey and Uzbekistan, recalling that Turkey was the first country to recognize Uzbekistan’s independence in 1991. He stated: "Today, our relations have gone beyond diplomatic boundaries and evolved into a strategic partnership.”

Mr. Yıldırım noted that although the trade volume between Uzbekistan and Turkey has reached USD 14 billion over the past five years, a downward trend was observed in the first half of 2025: “Turkey’s exports to Uzbekistan decreased by 15%, while imports declined by 13%. A similar picture is seen for Gaziantep: although our trade volume reached USD 524 million in the last five years, it dropped by 11% this year. But we know these numbers do not reflect our real potential. We have the strength, capacity, and determination to achieve more. That is why we came together today—to discuss what more we can do.”

Ambassador Haydarov underlined that he aims to visit every province in Turkey, emphasizing that Gaziantep holds a special place for Uzbekistan as a strategic connection point to Central Asian markets. He pointed out that Uzbekistan’s carpet industry has developed significantly thanks to Gaziantep and expressed readiness to support Gaziantep’s business community in building partnerships. He invited local entrepreneurs to explore investment opportunities in Uzbekistan.

Dr. Abdulmelik Tuyçibayev, Advisor to the Ambassador, delivered a detailed presentation on Uzbekistan’s economic outlook, priority sectors, and opportunities for Turkish investors.

The meeting, which drew great interest, was also attended by Mr. Ali Can Koçak, Board Member of the Gaziantep Chamber of Industry; Mr. Mehmet Akıncı, President of the Gaziantep Commodity Exchange; Mr. Mehmet Özyurt, President of the Nizip Chamber of Commerce; Mr. İbrahim Sarı, President of the Nizip Commodity Exchange; and Mr. Selahattin Türkmen, President of the İslahiye Chamber of Commerce.