CULTURE AND TOURISM MINISTER MUMCU:''TURKISH-PORTUGUESE RELATIONS DOUBLED WITH CUSTOMS UNION AND EU MEMBERSHIP PROCESS''
ISTANBUL - Culture and Tourism Minister Erkan Mumcu said on Wednesday that the relations between Turkey and Portugal doubled with customs union and EU membership process, adding that was not sufficient when the real potential was taken into consideration.
Addressing the Turkey-Portugal Business Forum held by Turkish-Portuguese Business Council, Mumcu stressed the importance which Turkey attached to the relations between the two countries.
Mumcu said that bilateral relations could have a richer dimension with joint commission meetings, adding that both Turkey and Portugal had the potential to make cooperation in many fields.
Referring to the tourism potential of Turkey, Mumcu said that according to the estimations of World Tourism Organization, Turkish tourism's growth rate was expected to be 10.2 percent in the coming years.
Erkan Mumcu said that the government displayed positive approach in fields such as lifting certain impediments in double taxation and land transportation.
Mumcu said that Turkey recorded progress in its tourism despite the negative effects of Iraqi war, adding that ''I think that Istanbul can have capacity problem in tourism within few years, thus we have to develop investments.''
Mumcu stated that the number of tourists who visited Istanbul this year increased by ten percent, and that rate would reach 20 percent with the tourists coming in fall.
(Öª-AY) 17.09.2003