Istanbul to host Turkey-Gulf Cooperation Council Forum

ISTANBUL (A.A) - February 2, 2012 - The first business forum of Turkey-Gulf Cooperation Council will take place in Istanbul on February 6 and 7. The Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu told AA on Thursday that 165 companies from Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman confirmed that they would attend the forum. He added that those companies were willing to make business or partnership with Turkish companies. Cooperation opportunities between Turkey and regional countries will be discussed in the forum, said Hisarciklioglu, adding that sessions would be held especially on construction, energy, transportation, agriculture, food and financial cooperation. Hisarciklioglu said that Turkey, besides its existing export markets in western world, should open to new markets due to economic crisis in Europe and other political developments in the region. He noted that trade volume between Turkey and Gulf Cooperation Council members, which was two billion USD in 2000, increased to 10 billion USD in 2011.