Tüzmen: 'A second border crossing should be opened with Iraq'
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Sunday that a second border crossing should be opened between Turkey and Iraq.Tuzmen and Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu visited Habur border crossing in Silopi town of southeastern city of Sirnak. Sirnak Governor Osman Gunes briefed the ministers.
Following the briefing, Tuzmen told reporters, ''we have been expending efforts to increase our trade with Iraq and the other neighboring countries. We have experienced difficulties after the elections in Iraq. They stemmed from lack of authority in Iraq.''
'When our government came to the political power in 2002, daily arrival and departure of trucks were about 500 at Habur border crossing. As a result of our efforts, this number increased to 4 thousand. Meanwhile, number of passengers using Habur border crossing
rose considerably. Our exports to Iraq reached 1.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2004. We aim to increase it up to 2.5 billion U.S. dollars by the end of this year,'' he said.
Noting that they would start modernizing the border crossing in April, Tuzmen said, ''modernization of Habur border crossing will be completed within a year. One forth of highway transportation is made from Habur border crossing. Therefore, a second border crossing should be opened with Iraq.'