Abdurrahman Kaan, President of Musiad.
DOHA: As Turkish exports to Qatar have “tripled from the normal levels” after the start of Gulf crisis, top Turkish industrialists and businessmen are contemplating to establish production units of various food items here in Qatar.
“We are being advised by our Qatari brothers (trade partners) to establish production facilities of iron, cheese, and dairy in Qatar,” said Abdurrahman Kaan, Musiad President, in an exclusive talk with The Peninsula.
Musiad is the largest association of Turkish industrialists and businessmen, having around 11,000 members. Kaan was visiting Qatar leading a delegation of Turkish businessmen to have meetings with their trade partners in Doha. Abdurrahman Kaan said that the delegation of Turkish businessmen had very productive meetings with Qatari companies to explore the existing needs of the country and ways of future trade cooperation.
“Now we will have special sessions on Qatar’s needs in Turkey in our board and with our members and after Eid, we will pay another visit to Qatar to have further meetings with our Qatari brothers.”
Musiad President said that trade relations between two brotherly countries would continue growing fast. Abdurrahman Kaan, termed his trip to Qatar as “wonderful”. “The first and foremost aim of the trip was to express solidarity with Qatar and show the world that we are standing with Qatar.”
He said that in many sectors of Qatar, there was space for consumption for huge volumes of Turkish goods. To a question about the quality of Turkish food item, Kaan said that they met European standards and “the Qatar companies and population are also very happy with the quality of our dairy products and chicken.” He said that the demand of iron was very high in Qatar.
Separately, two days ago while talking to The Peninsula Ambassador of Turkey to Qatar, Fikret Ozer, had said that with his country’s support, Qatar would not face any kind of shortage of any type of goods in future and Turkey would also supply construction materials for ongoing FIFA 2022 related or other mega projects.
Meanwhile, Turkish exports to Qatar have tripled from their normal levels to $32.5 million since four Arab countries began boycotting the Gulf state on June 5, Turkey's Customs and Trade Minister Bulent Tufenkci said late on Thursday, Reuters has reported.
"Since June 5 exports to Qatar have amounted to $32.5 million. Of this $12.5 million is food. This figure is three times the normal level," Tufenkci told reporters at a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner on Thursday evening.
Turkey has sent more than 100 cargo planes of supplies to Qatar but Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci has said it was not sustainable to maintain supplies through an air lift.
Anadolu has reported that a ship carrying 4,000 tonnes of food for Qatar left Turkey early on Thursday (June 22). The vessel, carrying dry food, fruits and vegetables, departed Izmir in western Turkey. It should arrive in 10 days.
