30/06/2008
ANKARA, Turkey -- State Minister Kursad Tuzmen proposed on Sunday (June 29th) the establishment of a joint industrial zone at the Turkish-Iraqi border to facilitate the free movement of goods and services between the two countries. The announcement came at a Turkish-Iraqi business forum in Baghdad. Tuzmen said Turkey wants an industrial zone in the Basra region to foster investments, especially in the energy sector. The proposal comes in advance of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's landmark visit to Iraq next week. (Turkish press - 30/06/08; Hurriyet, CNN Turk, Anadolu News Agency, Zaman - 29/06/08)