Turkish Firm Freezes Its Activities In Iraq

BAGHDAD/ANKARA - Some Turkish firms freezes their operations in Iraq because of recent attacks on Turkish citizens, it was announced. Vinsan Executive Board Chairman Ali Haydar Veziroglu said on Tuesday, ''the company has frozen all its activities in Iraq until all those unfair treatments against our firm and 10 Turkish workers, who were abducted in Iraq, come to an end.''
Releasing a statement Veziroglu said, ''the Vinsan participated in tenders for 20 separate projects in Iraq before the war. It won some of them, but none of the projects could start due to warfare. The firm sent 150 pieces of work machines to Baghdad to fulfil its commitments in line with the tender aiming to construct an expressway. Our only target was to serve Iraqi people. However, those merciless and heinous efforts to force Turkish firms to leave Iraq and all those unfair treatments are extremely distressing.''
''Therefore, the Vinsan has frozen all its activities in Iraq, except for mobilization works, till unfair treatments against our firm and 10 Turkish workers, who were abducted in Iraq, come to an end,'' he added.
(UK-ULG) 21.09.2004