Caglayan throws state weight behind Turkish Turkish construction firms seeking contracts in Iraq

Ankara is backing the country's construction companies in bids to win Iraqi tenders, State Minister Zafer Caglayan said yesterday. "Turkish contractors have joined a tender to build New Sadr City in Iraq. Ankara places great importance on the project and gives its full support," Caglayan told an Ankara press conference alongside visiting Iraqi Housing and Municipalities Minister Muhammad Sahib al-Daraji. "I hope a Turkish consortium will win the tender, since Turkish contractors have the necessary power, experience and technology." On Turkey's economic and commercial ties with Iraq, Caglayan said last year the bilateral trade volume reached $7.4 billion. "We want to boost this to $12 billion by year's end," he added. "To date more than 260 Turkish firms have carried through 587 projects in Iraq worth $11 billion." Caglayan also stressed the importance of setting up a Turkey-Iraq construction business council. Al-Daraji, for his part, said Turkey is playing an important role in efforts to ensure a new democratic process in Iraq.