Turkish contractors enjoy success in Libya

The success of Turkish contractors in Libya is a key piece of Turkish-Libyan economic ties, said Ambassador to Libya Levent Sahin Kaya over the weekend. "Bilateral relations especially took off after Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Libya in November 2009," he said. "Economic, trade and investment ties are very strong." The value of construction projects undertaken by Turkish firms in Libya over the last five years totals $14.5 billion, and Libyan infrastructure projects are favorites among Turkish contractors. Last year Turkish builders requested help in getting payments from the Libyan government. On these payment problems, Kaya said both he and Erdogan are watching the issue closely and that Turkey and Libya have overcome similar problems in the past.