Trade target with Russia to contribute to relations with Tatarstan

Turkey's Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said that a free trade agreement or preferential trade agreement to be signed with Russia will lend great impetus to Russia-Turkey relations and will have positive contributions to commercial relations with Tatarstan. During his visit to the Republic of Tatarstan for a series of official talks and inaugurations, Zeybekci answered the questions of an Anadolu Agency correspondent in an interview.

In reference to the Economy Ministry's support for active marketing in health tourism in Russia, Zeybekci said that if a company operating in Turkey opens offices in Russia and Tatarstan, the ministry aids them in areas such as rent payments. Zeybekci also remarked that with such supports and the measures taken, he does not expect a decline in the number of Russian tourists coming to Turkey this season, adding that Russian tourists might not take trips to other countries, but they will continue to come to Turkey. In February, the government announced that in order to prevent cancellations of vacation reservations, the government would grant $6,000 in fuel support for each plane arriving from the Commonwealth of Independent States - Russia, Ukraine and Belarus - and Iran since the tourism sector may face problems this year.

According to Zeybekci, during the recent meeting, which was held between the leaders of Turkey and Russia, the two countries set a target to take the current bilateral foreign trade volume of $32.5 billion to $100 billion in the shortest possible time. Saying that this target is far from being a dream, Zeybekci stated that it would easily be achieved if the ability of Turkish entrepreneurs and idle resources and facilities in Russia were combined. The deceleration in Turkey's foreign trade with Russia in the first two months of 2015 is a temporary situation, Zeybekci said. The minister stated that opportunities in Russia would continue increasing, adding that problems experienced between Russia and the Western world constitute a permanent opportunity for Turkey. He said: "This is why I encourage Turkish investors to continue their investments and production in Russia during this period. We must increase the use of the lira and the ruble in trade with Russia so that the two countries are less affected by external factors."