Singapore wants to improve relations with Turkey

The International Enterprise Singapore yesterday opened an overseas trade office in Istanbul in a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan and Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Shanmugaratnam underlined that Turkey and Singapore enjoyed mutually friendly relations and Singapore considered Turkey as a "unique center or attraction." For his part, Babacan said that Singapore's 36th office in Istanbul would enable Singaporean and Turkish companies to come together and conduct their business more easily and productively. Furthermore, the Turkey-Singapore Business Forum was held yesterday in Istanbul in cooperation with Singapore Business Council, Singapore Business Federation, International Enterprise Singapore, Singapore Economic Development Board and Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) with participation of Babacan and Shanmugaratnam. In his speech at the Forum, Babacan defined Turkey and Singapore as two friendly countries which shared modern values and ideals and agreed with each other in great many regional and international issues. Babacan added that Singapore ranked the second in the list of Turkey's export partner in the Asia Pacific region. Speaking at the Forum, Shanmugaratnam said Singapore would open an embassy in the Turkish capital of Ankara by the end of 2012.