ISTANBUL - Istanbul Mine and Metal Exporters Associations Secretary General Mutlu Oktem said on Sunday that marble and travertine exports reached 302.97 million U.S. dollars.
Oktem issued a statement which said that marble and travertine exports increased by 708 percent in the last ten years.
The rise in exports was a very pleasing development for the future of this sector, Oktem noted.
Oktem stated that Turkey was exporting marble and travertine to many countries, particularly the United States, Italy, Spain, Germany, Britain, Greece, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syria, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapure.
The United States was ranked the first in countries where Turkey exported natural stones while China and Israel followed the United States, Oktem pointed out.
Oktem added that they expected natural stone exportation to reach 350 million U.S. dollars in 2003 and 500 million U.S. dollars in 2005.
CEVIKLER MERMER EXPORTS 4.3 MILLION USD MARBLE
Cevikler Mermer Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Sti, a marble producer near Pinarbasi township of central Kayseri province, exported marble of 4 million 300 thousand U.S. dollars last year.
Cevikler Mermer Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Sti Executive Board President Aziz Cevik told reporters on Sunday that they were producing 20 types of marble and said, ''these materials have been used in the United States and some European Union (EU) countries in recent years.''
Cevik said that they were exporting 95 percent of their products and raised an income of 4 million 300 thousand U.S. dollars through their exports to the United States and Italy last year.
They exported 360 thousand square metres of marble last year, Cevik noted.
Cevik stated that they got positive results from their contacts with some companies in France, Spain and the Netherlands to increase their share in foreign markets.
They started to export to France, Spain and the Netherlands, Cevik said and added that they aimed to obtain 8-10 million U.S. dollars from their exports till the end of this year.