Ankara: Iraqi businessmen in Ankara

Speaking in the meeting, Kayalar stressed that important progress was recorded in commercial and economic relations with Iraq, saying, "the trade volume with Iraq which was 251 million dollars in 1996 increased to 834 million dollars in 2001, and to 1.3 billion dollars in 2002. Another important advantage in addition to the increase in trade volume is cooperation projects signed by more than one thousand Turkish companies with private sector and state institutions in Iraq prior to the war in Iraq."
"Our exports to Iraq reached 292 million dollars despite the extraordinary conditions as of the first seven months of the year 2003. Our exports in the last three months increased by 200 folds when compared to the same period last year. We are also pleased due to the successful results we obtained from the approval of our contracts which are within the scope of the oil in return of food. The amount of exports planned to be sent to Iraq by the contracts signed before the war in Iraq and which the U.N. reached 533 million dollars approved. We guess that this amount will reach 800 million dollars until the end of this year," he said.
Kayalar stated that currently more than 10 companies signed contracts with Iraq for gasoline, diesel oil, and LPG in return for fuel-oil.
"We try to overcome infrastructure deficiencies in transportation to improve trade," he added.
Kayalar said, "Turkey became one of the important production centers of the world in automotive, telecommunication, textile, electronics, ship construction, construction equipment so that all needs of Iraq can be met in this respect. The re-building of Iraq can take place in case it works in favor of the economies of both countries and with sincere and permanent steps that would be taken by private sector institutions."
Thamir Al-Shikhly, the Chairman of the delegation and Iraq Businessmen Association, in his part said as the representatives of Iraq business world they wanted Turkish businessmen to support them.
Shikhly said they visited Turkey to set up bridge between the Turkish business world and Iraq business world and called on Turkish businessmen to visit Baghdad.