ALEPPO - State Minister Kursat Tuzmen has said that they were willing to sign a free trade agreement with Syria, adding, ''we are ready to sign such an agreement.''
Tuzmen who is currently paying a visit to Aleppo, met with Aleppo Governor Usame Hamid Adi on Friday.
Speaking at the meeting, Tuzmen said he was pleased to visit Syria and meet with Governor Adi. ''Heart and brain are two vital organs. As far as I have seen that Damascus is the brain of Syria while the heart of Syria beats in Aleppo.''
Stressing that Syria and Turkey were two relative countries, Tuzmen said it was important to make trade with relatives. Tuzmen said that the two countries could cooperate in fields of automotive, textiles, ready-made clothing, tourism and transportation.
Noting that joint tourism ventures could be set up between Turkey and Syria, showing the tourists a 600 years of history through joint package programs, Tuzmen said that Turkey and Syria would be a good center of tourism and transportation serving whole world.
Meanwhile, Aleppo Governor Usame Hamid Adi said that they attributed special importance to Turkey in development of commercial relations, adding that they had presented projects to higher authorities to this end.
Following the meeting, Adi hosted lunch in honor of Tuzmen.
(MS-AY) 05.03.2004