OIC urges Turkey to take the lead in $1 tln halal food market

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) have asked Turkey to take the lead in the $1 trillion halal food market. Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergun paid a visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the OIC last week and spoke with about 300 wealthy Saudi businessmen and OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who is also a Turkish citizen, about the halal food business. Noting that the international halal market has expanded to $1 trillion, Ihsanoglu asked Turkey to help boost it further by taking a lead role in producing food with an internationally recognized halal label and stimulating Muslims' awareness in consuming halal food. Ihsanoglu also pointed to Turkey's extensive experience in cotton production, and asked that it share its expertise with other cotton-producing Muslim countries.