Turkish PM to Arrive Today

[eastwatch]

Turkish PM due today

Saturday, November 13, 2010
Front PageTurkish PM due today
Bss, Dhaka

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his spouse Emine Erdogan arrive here today on a two-day visit.

This will be the second high-level visit by a Turkish leader after the visit of Turkish President Abdullah Gul in February this year.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive Erdogan at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 4:00 pm.

After his arrival at the airport, he will be given a guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent to be drawn from three services of the Armed Forces.

During his stay, the Turkish PM will hold talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, foreign ministry sources said.

Erdogan is expected to call on President Zillur Rahman and meet Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, Finance Minister AMA Muhith and Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia.

Air connectivity and increase in bilateral trade and investment would dominate the talks between Turkish premier and Bangladeshi leaders, sources said.

The two countries are likely to sign agreements on cooperation in health sector and on exchange of land for embassies in Ankara and Dhaka during Erdogan's visit, sources added.

He will visit the National Memorial at Savar and pay tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War in 1971.

The Turkish premier will join a state banquet to be hosted by Hasina. The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry will host a lunch in his honour.

Erdogan and his wife Emine will also visit Turkish Hope International School at Uttara in the capital.

Both the countries have been enjoying excellent bilateral relations since they established diplomatic ties in 1974. Turkey opened its embassy in Dhaka in 1976 while Bangladesh opened its embassy in Ankara in 1981.

Earlier, Turkish President Abdullah Gul visited Bangladesh on February 12-13 at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart Zillur Rahman.

Zillur Rahman invited Gul when he paid a four-day visit to Turkey in November last year to attend Economic Summit of COMSEC (Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation) arranged by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).

 

[akash57]

Turkey eyes $3b trade with Bangladesh

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said bilateral trade between Turkey and Bangladesh will cross the $3 billion mark by 2015.

In the first 10 months of 2010, bilateral trade increased to $742 million from $648 million in 2009, despite the global financial crisis.

When the incumbent Turkish PM's party assumed power in 2002 through a general election, two-way trade between Bangladesh and Turkey was only $47 million.

"Our target is to increase the bilateral trade to $1 billion at the end of the year and $3 billion at the end of 2015. The target is achievable, because we have determination," said Erdogan yesterday at a luncheon meeting of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.

He suggested Bangladesh utilise Turkish expertise in construction and infrastructure development as his country boasts skills to carry out those jobs.

Turkey achieved 11 percent economic growth in the first six months of this year, ranking number one in Europe and third globally, he said.

"The rate of unemployment has been increasing worldwide in the wake of the global recession, but Turkey successfully cut its unemployment rate by maintaining significant economic growth," the Turkish PM said.

Tourist arrivals in Turkey are increasing while neighbouring Spain and Greece have been losing the numbers, Erdogan added.

Erdogan added that the most important asset of Bangladesh is the country's young and dynamic people, which Bangladesh should utilise for achieving overall development.

He urged the government to enforce the trade and investment protection agreement signed between the two countries in 1987 to boost trade.

At the meeting, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said mutual cooperation and investments between the two countries must be enhanced as Turkey has already made considerable advancements in this regard.

"Direct flights between Turkey and Bangladesh are all set to begin next month," he added.

FBCCI President AK Azad said major export items from Bangladesh to Turkey include knitwear, woven garment products, raw jute and jute goods, hides and skins, crockery, cutlery and handicrafts.

On the other hand, the goods imported from Turkey include machinery and mechanical appliances, base metal, textile and textile articles, vehicles, aircraft, vegetable products, mineral products, plastic and rubber products and prepared foodstuff.

The Turkish investors have opportunities to invest in textiles, tourism, energy, construction, natural gas-based industries, telecommunication, fisheries and agro-based industries in Bangladesh, he said.

BILATERAL TALKS

Emerging from bilateral talks yesterday, the Bangladesh and Turkey prime ministers held a joint press conference.

Erdoðan said his government and the private sector of Turkey will continue to offer and provide support and assistance to help Bangladesh emerge as a mid-income country by 2021, according to news agency UNB.

“There is huge potential to increase the trade up to a minimum $3 billion by 2015,” he said.

About the direct Dhaka-Istanbul air-link, he said it would strengthen cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, especially tourism.

Erdoðan hoped the economic and cultural collaboration would be further strengthened in the future.

He also said the Turkish government is interested to see an increase in the number of Bangladeshi students studying in Turkish educational institutions at graduation and under-graduation levels.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged her Turkish counterpart to encourage Turkish investors to invest in infrastructure development, energy production, river dredging, machinery and equipment plants, ICT, tourism, textile and particularly agro-based industries.
Turkey eyes $3b trade with Bangladesh