SILOPI - Iraq's Mosul Deputy Governor Ibrahim Arafat said on Monday that 45 businessmen coming from various cities of Iraq exchanged views with their Turkish counterparts coming from various cities of Turkey.
''This is a good step, a good beginning,'' said Arafat in the meeting in which Iraqi and Turkish businessmen participated. Noting that Iraq had very good commercial relations with Turkey between 1980-1990, Arafat said that the relations significantly decreased after the Gulf Crisis.
Arafat said that they came to Turkey with a seven-member delegation a short time ago, met with officials and they demanded such a meeting.
Speaking on behalf of Iraqi businessmen, Mosul Trade and Industry Chamber Executive Board member Hasim Beso said that they needed products, particularly food stuff after the change of the regime in Iraq. Beso said that they provided a part of these products from Syria and Jordan on the first days.
Beso said that they came to Turkey as a delegation composed of Arabs, Kurds, Turkmens and Assyrians, adding ''this is the beginning. We had consultations with Turkish businessmen and we discussed how we could make more operational Habur Border Gate. Our previous difficulty stemmed from the regime, there is no problem between the two peoples. We want to upgrade our commercial relations.''
Sýrnak Industry and Trade Chamber Chairman Kamil Ilhan said in his part that they discussed what they could do as businessmen of two countries.
The meetings between Turkish and Iraqi businessmen will continue on Tuesday.
(ÖÞ) 09.06.2003