Tuzmen: We Are Working To Prevent Iraq From Starting Visa Procedures For Turkish Citizens

ANKARA - Turkey was working to prevent Iraq from starting visa procedures for Turkish citizens, Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Tuesday.
Before attending a working breakfast in which Turkish and Iraqi officials including Iraq's Head of State Ghazi al-Yawer participated, Tuzmen told reporters that Iraq was planning to ask citizens of all world countries to get visa before entering the country since there was chaos on its soil.
Tuzmen said, ''Iraq is very important for Turkey. We are working to prevent Iraq from starting visa procedures for Turkish citizens. We are trying to enable Iraqi officials to give visa to our citizens at the border passes if Iraq is obligatory to want visa from Turkish citizens who want to visit the country.''
Turkish businessmen were serving Iraq despite the chaos in the country, Tuzmen noted.
Tuzmen stated that effects of the visa practice could be seen in time, but significant decrease had not been recorded in the trade volume so far despite these negative developments.
Forecasting the year-end trade volume between two countries as 2 billion U.S. dollars, Tuzmen said, ''Iraq's President has stated that they attach particular importance to Turkey. Al-Yawer's paying his first visit to Turkey (after he became the head of state) is the best indicator of the importance Iraq attaches to Turkey. I think we will achieve our 5 billion U.S. dollars of trade volume target in 2005.''
(BRC-AÖ) 17.08.2004