Auckland, New Zealand – 19 June 2023
James Evenson, Partner @ Crown Private & Crown Capital
We have some catching up to do.
The last time Marvin or I wrote to you, we were headed to Istanbul to join a great group of Obris members and guests. We then traveled to Central Asia to explore Kazakhstan.
Now, we are less than three months away from the next Obris meet up in Malaysia.
Hold tight for details about the Malaysia event as we share a few highlights from Istanbul and Kazakhstan. You can always jump to the bottom of this letter if you want to start planning your September trip to Kuala-Lumpur and Penang.
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Türkiye
The outcome of Türkiye’s election last month brought no surprises for those of us who met up on the banks of the Bosphorus.
We spent three days immersed in geopolitics, investing and opportunities to secure citizenship by investment. The group of exceptional speakers that we gathered helped shape an optimistic – yet realistic – outlook for Türkiye irrespective of who would win the forthcoming presidential election.
Türkiye holds its global role well – physically at the convergence of Europe, the Middle East and Asia and politically between Russia and the west. This reality and Türkiye’s aspirations were demonstrated well by our speakers and experienced by each of us.
Aside from astronomical inflation and a questionable human rights reputation, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has led Türkiye to a central role on the world stage. He aims to take the country even further, and many of Türkiye’s 85M inhabitants are eager to go there with him.
Our goal with each Obris meet up is to give participants invaluable tools to build upon as they consider investing, and in many cases living in the countries we visit.
At the Istanbul Meet Up, we received presentations on geopolitics that shape Türkiyeand the surrounding region as well as investment prospects within Türkiye.
We explored Türkiye‘s investment landscape of venture capital, private equity and capital markets.
And, we explored Türkiye‘s Citizenship by Investment program with a team of immigration attorneys from Akkas Law, complemented by an extensive tour of residential real estate throughout Türkiye with a team from Keller Williams Istanbul.
Add to that, we took in amazing vistas, exceptional food and the rich culture of Türkiye.
If you are exploring the world in search of a second passport or a place to call home, Türkiye is well worth your consideration.
Türkiye has an enhanced citizenship program that provides holders with access to the Schengen Zone and thus a backdoor into Europe.
Kazakhstan
We descended on Almaty (the business and cultural center of the country) and Astana (the capitol) for six days of food, fun and exploration.
Special thanks to my local friends who gave us a glimpse into Kazakhstan’s entrepreneurial landscape. Thanks also to Scott Osheroff of Asia Frontier Capital’s Uzbekistan Fund for joining us in Almaty.
If you have not been to Kazakhstan, you truly need to experience it for yourself. Not to worry, you will be invited again in the near future.
Malaysia
Get ready for the next Obris Meet Up.
We have been planning to host an event in Malaysia for years.
Georgetown on the Island of Penang is one of my favorite places on the planet. From world class food to beautiful ocean vistas to a remarkably reasonable cost of living, Penang has much to offer.
Likewise, You cannot beat the capitol and business center, Kuala Lumpur.
Marvin, a native of Malaysia, will be our host.
The Meet Up will start in Kuala Lumpur on 10 September. We will travel to Penang from the 12th-14th.
We will tell you more about Malaysia and the Meet Up in the coming days. In the mean time, save the date.
