OECD opens its 5th regional center in Istanbul

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on Jan. 22 launched its fifth regional center in Istanbul, aiming to develop its ties across Eurasia, the Middle East and North Africa, southeastern Europe, and Southeast Asia.

The new OECD Istanbul Centre will be instrumental to back countries in these regions and lay the groundwork for a sustainable post-pandemic recovery.

"We are one step closer to our goal of making Istanbul a center for international organizations, including the U.N.," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, inaugurating the center at a virtual event.

He noted that Turkey, through the new OECD center, would be able to contribute more to the organization's work across wide geographies.

Underlining that besides economic problems, injustice was also increasing across global society, Erdoğan praised the OECD's important role in combating the pandemic's negative impact on the world.

"The organization has prepared strong, inclusive and sustainable proposals for revitalizing economic growth and employment on a global scale," he added.

Stressing that these efforts would accelerate the recovery process in the upcoming period, Erdoğan said the Istanbul headquarters would serve the organization's strategy towards partner countries, strengthening trade and investment relations with non-member countries.

"We hope the center will play a truly central role in the work of the OECD and will provide a wide range of services in communication with Paris," he said.

Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said Turkey-OECD ties are set to enter a new era with the establishment of the center.

Stating that COVID-19 forced the whole world into a serious transformation, Pekcan...