Tuzmen: A New Turkey With A Foreign Trade Volume Of U.S.D. 100 Billion Will Emerge

IZMIR - State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Friday, ''a new Turkey with a foreign trade volume of 100 billion U.S. dollars will emerge.''
Addressing journalists at Izmir's Adnan Menderes Airport after his arrival from Pakistan where he had attended the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) meeting, Tuzmen said, ''during our visit to Pakistan, we assessed developments since visit of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Pakistan nearly a month ago.''
''The ECO Trade Agreement was signed by ministers of member countries. As you know, the organization was founded under the leadership of Turkey by Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. As a result of this agreement, Turkey will have significant advantages in foreign trade. Member countries have committed to decrease their customs prices to 15 percent in the next eight years. In that case, Turkey will be able to export its goods to these countries more easily,'' he said.
Recalling that both the Central Bank and the Eximbank had decreased interest rates, Tuzmen told reporters, ''Turkey has accelerated its exports. We expect exports from Turkey to the other countries to increase up to 40 billion U.S. dollars. Our imports are expected to rise up to 60 billion U.S. dollars. A new Turkey with a foreign trade volume of 100 billion U.S. dollars will emerge.''
(UK-AÖ) 18.07.2003