Erdogan: "As a bridge between the east and west, Turkey should have strong the with both the EU and Arab world"

In a message to the Fourth Turkish-Arab Economy Forum, which started yesterday in Istanbul in a bid to boost financial cooperation and trade ties between Turkey and member states of the Arab League, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that Turkey's economic and political integration with the European Union won't mean weakened relations with Arab states. "On the contrary, our commercial relations with Arab nations, with whom we share a common historical heritage, will gain more strength as a consequence of our bridging role between Europe and the Middle East," he said. Speaking at the opening of the forum, Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said Turkey's exports to Arab countries rose six-fold over the last six years, from $11 billion in 2002 to $62 billion in 2008. The rate of Arab investments in Turkey saw a similar growth trend in recent years, Simsek said, giving a current figure of $30 billion. Events bringing Arab and Turkish businesspeople together like the forum will do much to boost these figures, he added. Also speaking at the meeting, Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodities Exchanges (TOBB) head Rifat Hisarciklioglu called the Arab League one of Turkey's key economic partners. Stressing the great economic potential of Arab countries, he said Turkey should work to get more Arab investments. Pointing to how trade between Turkey and Arab countries rose from $6.5 billion in 2000 to $37 billion last year, Hisarciklioglu also called for cooperation in areas such as a high-speed train network between Turkey and the Arab world, and the construction sector.