#Former Baghdad Chamber Of Commerce President Cafer Hamdani

Turkey-Iraq Trade Delegation meetings held in Baghdad

Company representatives from Turkey and Iraq met at the meeting held in a hotel in Baghdad and discussed new cooperation opportunities. Speaking at the meeting, Ali Rıza Güney, Turkey's Ambassador to Baghdad, stated that Iraq is a strong country; "Iraq needs to derive its power not from oil but from its highly dynamic human resources, which should be proud of its history. More than 50 percent of Iraq's population consists of young people, and they will build the country's future." TİM Cereals, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Sector Board Chairman Ahmet Tiryakioğlu stated that they participated in the bilateral meetings with a delegation consisting of 31 companies and 33 participants. Tiryakioğlu said, "Baghdad is a symbol of beauty in our world. As in the past, Baghdad is our friend, brother and business partner today." Pointing out that there has been a significant acceleration in regional bilateral relations after the Kovid-19 epidemic, Tiryakioğlu said that there has been an increase in exports to Iraq in cereals, chemical materials, furniture, fruit and other areas. Noting that they believe that relations with Iraq will continue to develop rapidly, Tiryakioğlu said, "We are two countries in need of each other. We do not have much food and water in Iraq. We do not have the oil and its derivatives, which are abundant in Iraq." "Iraq needs to benefit from Turkey's experience" Speaking to AA correspondent, Iraqi young investor and businessman Muhammed Asadi drew attention to the increase in the trade volume between Iraq and Turkey. Asadi said, "The trade volume between the two countries has increased between 2021 and 2023. In addition, Iraqi business people come in the third place among the buyers of real estate in Turkey. There are strong developments in bilateral relations as well." Expressing that the role of Turkish companies in the field of construction and reconstruction in Iraq is great, Asadi emphasized that the relations between the two countries have not been affected since the 1990s and therefore the presence of Turkish companies in Iraq is not new. "Iraq needs to benefit from Turkey's experience." Asadi said that Turkey is more developed than the Gulf countries, especially in the field of industry and construction. "Turkey made great revolutions in agriculture, economy and industry" Songül Çabuk, a former Iraqi parliamentarian and businessperson, also reminded that Turkey has historical relations with Iraq. Çabuk said, "Turkey, our closest neighbor to us, should benefit from the stability in Iraq. Of course, Turkey will play a major role in the reconstruction of Iraq.Turkey has made great revolutions in fields such as agriculture, economy and industry. We should benefit from Turkey's experience in the fields of economy and trade.” Former Baghdad Chamber of Commerce President Cafer Hamdani expressed that the re-election of President Erdogan makes Iraqis happy. Hamdani noted that this will have significant effects on bilateral and strategic relations and the private sector in the new period. Pointing out that the relations between Iraq and Turkey are historical, Hamdani continued his words as follows: "Iraq is a rich country with natural resources, but it needs the experience of countries like Turkey. Turkey has great experience in industry, agriculture, health, transportation and all other fields, and we should not miss this great opportunity. Turkish companies and the Turkish private sector are the true partners of investments in Iraq."