ANKARA, Sept 29 (AFP) - Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul vowed on Wednesday that increasing violence against Turkish nationals in Iraq would not discourage Turkey from trading with its war-torn southern neighbor.
"Turkey cannot leave its neighbor Iraq. It cannot say 'I'm not interested.' It cannot cut off its ties," Gul told reporters. "Turkey's activities (in Iraq) will continue... Business people will definitely pursue their activities."
Turkish companies have been keen to renew trade with Iraq, one of Turkey's main commercial partners before the 1991 Gulf War, but the recent wave of violence has scared off many and prompted Ankara to seek enhanced security for its nationals.
Turkey is not part of the US-led military coalition in Iraq but many Turkish firms have been awarded tenders in reconstruction projects, while scores of others are ferrying supplies to the US army.
Truck drivers in particular have increasingly become targets of Iraqi insurgents. Some have been killed in violence on the roads and others have been kidnapped.
Most of these Turkish hostages have been released since their companies pledged to stop operating in the country.
Ankara has confirmed the killings of at least two Turkish hostages in Iraq, while describing as "credible" a report by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television channel that three other Turks were executed by their captors earlier this month.