Turkey continues to invest in Mideast despite unrest: minister
ISTANBUL. April 27. KAZINFORM Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said Wednesday his country will not pull back investment from the Middle East, despite recent unrest in the region. Kazinform refers to Xinhua.
Developments in the Middle East and North Africa benefited the Turkish business, the finance minister said at the 6th Turkish- Arab Business Forum held in Istanbul.
Turkey always did its best in regard to prosperity, stability and peace in Middle East and Africa and it would keep on doing so, Simsek said.
He said that Turkey attached great importance to the future of those countries.
Many Arab countries export oil and gas, which in turn fuels their investments, he said, adding that countries like Turkey without oil and gas stockpiles have to support their neighbors to make sure that capital came.
Trade volume between Turkey and the Arab world was 6.9 billion dollars in 2002 and has increased to 33.5 billion dollars last year. Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.xinhuanet.com for full version