Tuzmen: We Have Possibility To Do More Business With Iraq

ANKARA - Environment Minister Kursat Tuzmen said on Wednesday that Turkey had the opportunity to do more business with Iraq due to the common points which the two countries shared.
''We'll say where we left and we will continue relations with Iraq,'' Tuzmen said in the regular meeting of Ankara Industry Chamber (ASO).
Tuzmen said that ''we are aware of the fact that the U.S. is our ally... We are not the only country which signed contracts with Iraq before. EU countries, Russia and China had signed many contracts in Iraq.''
Noting that Turkey had to increase its commercial relations with all of its neighbours, Tuzmen said that Turkey had to form a security belt in the region by this way.
Tuzmen stressed that exports between January 1- April 15 2003 increased by 35.5 percent and reached 12.1 billion dollars when compared to the same period last year, adding that trade with Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Egypt, Algeria in the same period increased by 36 percent. Tuzmen said that exports to Russia, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Algeria, Egypt, United Arab Emirates (UAE) increased by 46 percent. Tuzmen stressed that exports of industrial products increased by 36.2 percent and reached 10.4 billion dollars, while exports of ready-to-wear and textiles increased by 28 percent to 3 billion dollars. The exports of vehicles and automobile by-industry increased by 55 percent to 1.8 billion dollars. Tuzmen added that exports of electric electronic and machinery products increased by 41 percent.
(ÖS-AÖ) 30.04.2003