Northern Iraq Wants to Buy Turkish Products with Oil Revenues

Both sides strongly want the commercial ties between Turkey and Northern Iraq to be strengthened. Stating that there are periods when there are 3 thousand – 3 thousand 500 truck entries from Turkey to Northern Iraq every day, and that Northern Iraq meets most of its needs from Turkey, Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Dr. Dara Jaleel Al-Khayat invited Turkish Turkish exporters to invest in Erbil and work more intensely with business people from Erbil.

Visiting the Aegean Exporters' Associations with a delegation accompanying him, Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Dr. Dara Jaleel Al-Khayat said, “Northern Iraq has no income or production other than oil. The increase in oil and natural gas prices increases our purchasing power. Factories in Turkey produce, Middle Eastern countries also need it. We expect Turkey to be more embracing. Turkey can meet 50 percent of the needs of the Middle East countries on its own, it can increase its exports to Iraq 3-5 times today, we came to Izmir to increase cooperation. Every sector in Turkey, especially the white goods, natural stone and food sectors, has a chance to grow in Northern Iraq. We want to host a delegation from Aegean Exporters' Associations in Erbil," he said.

Aegean Exporters' Unions Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi; He stated that they are ready to cooperate as Turkish exporters for the further development of foreign trade between Turkey and Iraq.

“We are ready to meet the needs of Erbil,” said Eskinazi, “Our commercial ties with Erbil are very strong. Due to the problems experienced in logistics in the past period, our exports to Iraq did not increase at the desired level. "We want to be stronger in the Iraqi market," he said.

Big market in natural stone export

Pointing out that Northern Iraq is one of the largest markets in the export of the Turkish natural stone industry, Aegean Mineral Exporters' Association President Mevlüt Kaya said that today the shipping costs from China have increased to 13-14 thousand dollars, they want to turn these developments into an advantage and continue to meet the needs of Northern Iraq. He stressed that they were ready. Kaya said, “The more trade there is, the more our friendships grow, and we want to develop our relations. We are planning to organize a trade delegation organization to Erbil, a member of Aegean Exporters' Associations.

Determining that Erbil is at least as safe a city as İzmir, the President of the International Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association Nevaf Kılıç said that Erbil, which is the 5th largest city of Iraq, is in a development that is a candidate to become the trade center of the Middle East, and that the relations between Turkey and Iraq are in progress. He stated that the trade volume has a potential to increase to 5 times.

Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice President Soran A. Aziz; He emphasized that they have the advantage of speaking the same language, that Turkey is a producer and Northern Iraq is a consumer, and that these advantages should be evaluated.