Big opportunities are opening up for U.S. businesses in Türkiye and Central Asia. In a recent online meeting, TACCS brought together key officials from the U.S. Department of Commerce to lay out a practical roadmap for Turkish-American and Turkic-American companies.
The event, led by TACCS President and CEO Erhan Cevikel, featured frank discussion on what’s happening on the ground and how U.S. firms can get involved.
A New Focus on Commercial Diplomacy
Leo Ayala (利奥) and Evan Johnson from the U.S. Department of Commerce talked about their hands-on role in helping American companies succeed in the region.
Ayala called Türkiye a “strategic bridge between Asia and Europe” and shared a great example: a recent genomics technologies trade mission in Istanbul, led to over 80 meetings for many U.S. companies. He said more missions are already in the works for automation manufacturing and logistics. Johnson added that with positive political signs in the Caucasus, “the timing is perfect” for U.S. companies to explore also the region’s telecom and energy sectors.
Inside the “Middle Corridor”
Much of the talk centered on the “Middle Corridor,” a new trade route connecting Asia and Europe through the Caspian Sea region, avoiding Russia and Iran.
Natig Bakhishov, Executive Director of the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, gave a preview of an upcoming trade trip starting September 4th. The trip is designed to give U.S. companies a real-world tour of the route, with stops at ports in Kazakhstan, free trade zones in Azerbaijan, and Black Sea ports in Georgia. The goal, Bakhishov said, is simple: “to show how this Middle Corridor works.”
https://usacc.org/event/01-07-2025-55
TACCS Is Ready to Help
The TACCS team made it clear they are ready to help businesses seize this moment.
Secretary General Gokhan Yavuz noted that recent peace talks are creating “historic opportunities” for partnerships and that “no time to miss.” Backing this up, TACCS Head of Logistics Bugra Toplusoy confirmed that member companies are prepared to offer “safe gateways for U.S. companies to bring goods and services” to the region.
The main takeaway was clear: the time for Turkish-American and Turkic-American companies to look seriously at this region is now, and partners like TACCS are ready to help make the connections happen.
