ISTANBUL - Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Friday that Turkey aimed to start a new period in commercial and economic relations with Libya.
Tuzmen and accompanying businessmen left for Libya for an official visit.
Tuzmen told reporters prior to his departure that Libya was the first country which Turkey has started contractor services since 1970s.
Noting that Turkey has made 12 billion dollars of 55 billion dollars contractor service to Libya until today, Tuzmen said that foreign trade volume decreased after 1990 due to embargo imposed on Libya.
Tuzmen said that Turkey was following carefully Libya's activities on international level, the United Nations' lifting sanctions on Libya and the liberalization project which Libya has started. He added that this liberalization was gradually increasing the success chance of activities which would be carried out with Libya.
Tuzmen said that Turkey's export amount to Libya has reached 255 million dollars and Turkey's import amount from Libya has become 1.1 billion dollars in 2003. He added that Turkey aimed to increase trade volume with Libya to four billion dollars in short term.
(GC-AÖ) 25.06.2004