Arab tourist boost economy in Turkey's eastern med

Economy and tourism in Turkey's eastern Mediterranean region are on the rise as more Arab tourists visit Turkey thanks to mutual visa exemptions with Syria and Lebanon. Serafettin Asut, head of the Mersin Chamber of Commerce, said yesterday that the southern provinces of Adana, Mersin, Hatay and Gaziantep have attracted many Syrian and Lebanese tourists. "We will launch ferry service among Mersin, Beirut and Tarabulus" or Tripoli-Lebanon, next Monday, the Anatolia news agency quoted him as saying. The ferry can carry 700 passengers, 25 trucks and 250 cars, he said, and will make one trip per week in winter and two to three per week in the summer. Talat Dincer, head of the Mersin Tradesmen and Artisan Chambers' Association, told Anatolia that Turkey and Syria should launch ferry service between Mersin and Latakia and cooperate on road and railway projects.