ANKARA: Businessmen and investors can work together to resolve disputes between Egypt and Turkey, the chairman of the Turkish-Egyptian Business Council of Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) said on Friday. “We want to reinforce a win-win strategy over all African countries,” Mesut Toprak told Anadolu Agency. Toprak noted Egyptian businessmen’s desire to develop bilateral relations by settling political disputes. He said the Africa Business Councils of DEIK had arranged high-level trips and signed bilateral agreements in order to improve economic cooperation with the continent.
On Egypt, Toprak said a Turkey-Egypt Business Council joint meeting would be held on March 12. “We aim to carry out efficient activities by forming executive committee for the Egyptian side of the council. In the following joint meetings, current disputes will be discussed and new solutions will be developed to boost trade between the two countries,” he said. Toprak said Egypt’s producer register system posed obstacles for Turkish companies. “The system, which was launched by Egypt to protect its domestic market, poses an obstacle for Turkey’s exports by unnecessarily limiting trade,” he said.
Toprak warned that problems will persist despite measures to facilitate trade: “This system will continue as long as Egypt’s foreign currency problems continue,” he said. He said their aim was to enhance sectoral cooperation with Egypt, especially in the agriculture and energy fields. “An Africa Agriculture Summit will be held in Antalya on April 27-28 in order to create a platform for the private and public sectors and the representatives of Egypt’s business environment will join,” he added.
