BAGHDAD - Turkish businessmen have started to come to Iraq after Turkish Trade Consulate in Baghdad began to carry out its activities in Baghdad about a week ago.
Trade Counselor Metin Deger said that office of trade consulate was opened officially on Thursday and stated that they were working to extend help to businessmen who came from Turkey to Iraq.
International Transporters' Association (ITA) carrying out its activities in Turkey will also open an office in Baghdad. Five-person ITA delegation which came to Iraq three days ago had opportunity to hold some talks with support of trade consulate.
ITA's Middle East representative Tahsin Rende said that they had an office in Baghdad before the war in 1991 and stated that they had to close this office due to embargo and some other problems after 1991 war.
Rende said that they would re-open an office in Baghdad and would extend help on many issues including security to transporters who would make transit passage from Iraq and who would bring goods to Iraq and added that their office would start to serve within 10 days.
Stating that about 250,000 trucks had brought goods from Turkey to Iraq before 1991, he said, ''thousands of trucks were passing to Gulf countries then. Now, we want to reach again our power before the Gulf War.''
Rende said that many Turkish companies would export products to Iraq after the war and noted, ''if the state launches some initiatives and we have some facilities, I believe that transporters will have a better situation now than before Gulf War. But it should be developed as a state policy.''
Noting that Turkey recorded progresses and further developed in 10 years and transportation sector also improved, Rende said that they needed some facilities to compete in this sector with countries including Syria and Jordan which also brought goods to Iraq.
Irfan Eflatun, owner of Efsan Industrial company which has been serving in Baghdad for six years, said, ''we exported goods worth of 3 million U.S. dollars to Iraq last year. But, we had some problems this year due to uncertainty which stemmed from the war.''
Eflatun said that despite some problems of security, Turkish businessmen started to come to Baghdad and stated that it would provide Turkey with more advantages.
ITA officials and some businessmen who met with Turkish Ambassador in Baghdad Osman Paksut explained their problems and new activities.
Paksut said that Turkey would be architect of commercial structure which would be formed after the war and added that trade consulate and embassy would extend help to businessmen in every issue.
(EÖ-AÖ) 16.05.2003