North African and Gulf countries awaiting Turkish firms

The forums and meetings organized in the countries where revolutions have occurred as part of the Arab Spring are attended mostly by Turkish firms thanks to a gradually increasing demand. Within this framework, businessmen merely from Turkey and Libya will attend a meeting to be organized by Namaa Tunisia, a non-governmental organization aimed at boosting investments and economic cooperation in Tunis. Chairman of Turkish-Tunisian Business Council Levent Soylu who will attend the forum on behalf of Turkey on January 12-13 said that Turkey’s image has been boosted by our support to them in difficult times, as well as the visits paid by ministers and businessmen during its transition period. Soylu reiterated that European countries have made strategic mistakes during that process, but Turkey signed a free trade agreement with Tunis four years ago and thus new products are exempted from customs duty each year. Speaking in his part, Turkish-Libyan Business Council Chairman Ersin Takla said that these demands are caused by a positive policy and non-Turkish firms’ inability to carry out such restructuring there. Besides North African countries, there is a growing interest in Turkey by the Gulf Region as well. The World Future Energy Summit to be held in Abu Dhabi on January 16-19 will also be attended by a great many ministers and businessmen from Turkey. The assets owned by Gulf countries in Turkey currently amount to $10 billion along with a trade volume of $15 billion.