ISTANBUL - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed belief on Saturday that Turkey and Saudi Arabia would increase trade volume in the possible shortest time.
Prior to his departure for Saudi Arabia to attend Fifth Jeddah Economic Forum, Erdogan told reporters that he would attend the forum which brought together leading economists and intellectuals in the world.
Erdogan said that more than a thousand businessmen, high-level statesmen and scientists would participate in the forum.
He would explain Turkish economy and recent developments in economy, Erdogan noted.
Erdogan stated that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Jordanian Queen Rania, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, finance ministers of many countries and director of World Trade Organization would attend the forum.
He would hold bilateral meetings with Saudi Arabian officials, Erdogan pointed out.
Erdogan expressed belief that businessmen undertook great responsibilities to increase trade volume with Saudi Arabia and added that the forum would open new horizons for Turkey and participants.
Stating that many businessmen attended his visit to Saudi Arabia, Erdogan said, ''our businessmen will benefit from this opportunity and meet with their interlocutors in Turkish-Saudi Arabian Business Council. Nearly 100,000 Turkish citizens live in Saudi Arabia and nearly 200,000 Turkish citizens visit this country every year for Hajj and visit Moslem religious places.''
Erdogan said he would also visit International Turkish School which was opened in Jeddah aiming to give education for Turkish children.
Erdogan later replied to questions of reporters.
When asked whether or not he would discuss increasing hajj quota in Saudi Arabia for Turkey, Erdogan said, ''there are several news reports in this respect. News reports related to us are totally speculations. We do not have any promise given to any tourism agency. As you know the quota that was allocated to Turkey was 70 thousand. This quota was increased to 113 thousand after efforts of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul. However, discussion of increasing this quota once more is not right.''
When a journalist said there were several difficulties in customs, Erdogan said those would be discussed within Turkish-Saudi Arabian Joint Economic Commission meeting.
(BRC-AY) 17.01.2004