ANKARA - ''Turkey wants to get a share from Libya's infrastructure and superstructure projects,'' Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Friday.
Taking the floor at Turkey-Libya Cooperation Meeting, Tuzmen reminded that Turkish contractors are actually active in 55 different countries.
Tuzmen said they prepared a new road map after eight years interval, stating that, ''we aim to build a new economic cooperation bridge in the Mediterranean.''
Tuzmen said Turkey-Libya trade volume is actually 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, stressing that they have a plan to increase this figure to three billion U.S. dollars within three years period.
State Minister Tuzmen said that Turkey is also eager to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Libya.
''Besides the economic cooperation, Turkish entrepreneurs will be encouraged to make investments in all African markets, especially in food and construction sectors, manufacturing industry, tourism, maritime and land transportation,'' Tuzmen added.
Tuzmen also said measures have been taken to overcome debt problem between Turkey and Libya. ''We have formed a committee of experts. It will start studies at the beginning of September,'' he noted.
Libyan Labor, Education & Enterprise Minister Mohammad Matug, in his part, said this new period would add momentum to relations between the two countries.
Matug said Turkish entrepreneurs could invest in Libya in industry, construction, tourism and food stuff industry and could form joint ventures in third countries.
Libyan Electricity Minister Omran Abu Kra, on the other hand, said Libya's electricity requirements increase 10 percent every year, noting that they expected Turkish companies to undertake investments in Libya for electricity generation and distribution.
It was also reported that Libyan delegation invited Turkish companies to construct 200 thousand houses and undertake investments worth of six billion U.S. dollars in power generation area in Libya.
(AY-ULG) 06.08.2004