A Turkish delegation headed by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Israel today. The goal of the visit is to tighten commercial ties between the two countries. Bilateral trade between Turkey and Israel totaled $2 billion in 2004.
The Turkish delegation included Turkey’s ministers of trade and industry, defense, energy, and agriculture, plus 100 Turkish business people in various fields.
Israel-Turkey Business Council chairman and fomer Ministry of Foreign Affairs director-general Dr. Alon Liel said that this was the highest level Turkish delegation ever to visit Israel. He added that the delegation’s mission was to further boost economic and trade links between the two countries.
Liel stressed that some of the business people had scheduled meetings with Israeli business people. Among the visiting business people was Turkish Jewish community leader Jacques Kimhi. In 1993, the Turkish branch of Hizbullah attempted to assassinate Kimhi.
The delegation also includes Rona Yircali, executive chairman of DEIK, a private sector organization founded to improve Turkey’s overseas business relations; telecommunications businessman Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, the president of the Turkish-American Chamber of Commerce; Hamdi Akin, one of the largest contractors in Turkey, who built the airports in Ankara and Istanbul; and Turkish defense industry representative Mehmet Durmaz, who was behind the Turkish-Israeli tank upgrade deal.
“Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of Iran are liable to constitute a threat to the region, and we oppose weapons liable to constitute a regional threat,” Erdogan warned today.
Following his official visit, Erdogan will continue to Ramallah, where he will meet senior Palestinian Authority (PA) officials. His visit to the PA will probably also be used to promote joint Israeli-Turkish economic projects.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on May 1, 2005