ANKARA - State Minister Ali Babacan said on Tuesday that Turkey's future and path was open and it did not deviate from its target because of incidents like in Istanbul.
Babacan met with Greek Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Khristodoulakis. They held a press briefing after the meeting.
When asked whether events in Istanbul was brought onto agenda during the meeting, Babacan said that they briefly took up the incidents in their meetings last night and Khristodoulakis had expressed his sorrow over terrorist attacks. Babacan added that however Turkey's future and path was open and its targets were clear, and such incidents could not deviate Turkey from its targets. He said that direct foreign investors did not take a decision by taking only a few days into consideration and they would rather decide by considering a period of five or ten years, adding that Turkey did not have any concerns about this.
Noting that they took up which points should be concentrated on relations between the two countries, Babacan said that they discussed many different issues.
Babacan said that although Turkey and Greece were very close geographically, their economic relations were limited and this was not good for economies of both countries.
Babacan said that it was necessary to carry economic relations of two country to the level it deserved by the acceleration of Turkey's European Union (EU) process.
Emphasizing that mutual exports and imports should be increased, Babacan said that developments between the two countries were well in recent years, but there was a very big potential.
Noting that they also took up mutual investments between the two countries, Babacan said that it was important that Turkish firms should invest in Greece and Greek firms should invest in Turkey and Turkish and Greek firms should establish partnerships, adding that they should create successful examples on these issues.
Babacan said that there was a potential for cooperation of Turkish and Greek firms in third countries.
Noting that two countries could make cooperation on the issues of energy and natural gas, Babacan stressed that two countries could also act jointly in tourism sector. He said that there would be a more intensive traffic between Athens and Ankara.
Noting that cooperation of two countries would bring benefits, Babacan said that they sincerely wanted to carry many common points of unity of geography and culture of two countries to economic field.
(GC-AÖ) 02.12.2003