Turkey aims for $2 billion export to Iraq in 2004

"Our exports to Iraq reached nearly 580 million dollars in the first four months," Kursad Tuzmen was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as saying at a meeting with the president of the Iraqi businessmen association, Thamer Al Sheikhly.

"If we work well, we could easily achieve 1.8 billion dollars of exports at the end of the year," Tuzmen said.

Iraq was one of Turkey’s principal trading partners prior to the 1991 Gulf War, but the ensuing UN embargoes hit the Turkish economy, with Ankara putting its losses at 40 billion dollars.

Turkey is now hoping for a share in the rebuilding of post-war Iraq, especially in the construction sector.

The southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir is set to host a much-anticipated trade show which was originally to take place in Baghdad but which was postponed due to security fears.

More than 200 companies are expected to take place in the fair.