“All parties in Turkey agree that the visit restored normal relations, cooperation, business, and dialogue between Israel and Turkey, both politically and economically. The timing of the visit was essential to blur the threat to relations inherent in the Turkish prime minister’s recent remarks, and it also left a great deal of scope for continued economic relations,” Minister of Industry, Trade, and Labor Ehud Olmert told “Globes”. Olmert is visiting Turkey and Belgium, accompanied by businesspeople and representatives of telecoms.
Olmert added that during his visit, he had obtained a commitment from the Turkish government to allow the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) to go through in 2005 with government financing and Israeli contractors. “They are capable to carrying out the GAP project, and the Turkish foreign minister definitely promised me to begin the project in 2005, after Turkey had 5.9% growth last year.”
Olmert discussed GAP on Thursday with Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler. Olmert introduced Guler to the Israeli companies slated to participate in the project. At the meeting, Guler mentioned the possibility of including Israeli companies in future Turkish energy projects.
Later on Thursday, Olmert signed a protocol of the joint Israel-Turkey economics committee. It was agreed to begin negotiations for industrial R&D cooperation and promoting trade between the two countries.
Olmert said that the talks with Turkey had been successful, including “quiet understandings I reached with the Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul (Gul represented the prime minister, who was attending his daughter’s wedding) which I cannot discuss, and the desire to promote various projects in wireless communications, telecommunications, and water.”
Olmert noted that Ruhi Dogusoy, COO of Turkcell, a wireless company with 20 million subscribers, had met with representatives of Israeli telecoms, and expressed willingness to host Israel companies in the industry in Turkey to order to establish connections. Turkcell plans to sign new contracts. Mehmet Ekinalan, general manager of Turk Telecom, Turkey’s national communications company, which also has 20 million subscribers, promised to assist Israeli companies.
”Comverse Technology (Nasdaq:CMVT), the Rad group, Motorola Israel, ECI Telecom (Nasdaq: ECIL), and Gilat Satellite Networks (Nasdaq: GILTF; TASE: GILTF) are taking part in tenders here, and we can sell advanced technologies to a country with 80 million people,” Olmert said.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on July 18, 2004