ANKARA (CÝHAN) - The Turkish State Minister Responsible for Foreign Trade, Kürsad Tüzmen today received the Libyan Deputy Prime Minister, Matug Muhammed Matug prior to the opening of the meeting of the Turkey-Libya Mixed Economic Commission. Answering a question concerning the International Transportations' Association (UND)'s decision to call a halt to the transportation of supplies from Turkey to Iraq, Tüzmen said, "Our trade with Iraq will continue."
Remarking that Turkish people were ready to work in the more risky markets, Tüzmen stated, "The number of vehicles traveling between Turkey and Iraq decreased by 5 percent from 4,100 to 3,900 after the killing of two Turkish drivers in Iraq. In spite of these incidents, we will achieve an export target with Iraq of between 1.6 and 1.8 billion US dollars by the end of the year".
Tüzmen declared, "To eliminate the risks is not possible but they can be reduced. Therefore, we will establish storage centers in the secure regions in Iraq. Turkish trucks will deliver their goods to these centers and then Iraqi transport companies will distribute the goods throughout Iraq. In this way, we can reduce the risks to a minimum".
Tüzmen also stated that the Turkish government would give importance to alternative modes of transport. The four daily train services currently running between Turkey and Iraq will be increased to five. Minister Tüzmen added, "Relations with Iraq continued before the Iraq War and also afterwards.
Several Turkish drivers and workers have been killed or taken hostage in Iraq for helping or delivering supplies to US forces there. Turkish driver Osman Alisan, who was working for the Tibrik company, was killed yesterday during an armed attack at the Iraqi town of Filfil.Turkish hostage Murat Yuce, who was working at a US base as a cleaner, was executed on Monday by militants of the Tawhad and Jihad group of Abu Musab Al Zarkavi an ally of Al Qaeda.