Erdogan: Trade turnover between ČR,Turkey to rise to USD 5bn in 2015

Prague, Feb 4 (CTK) - Trade turnover between the Czech Republic and Turkey should reach $5bn (around Kc95bn) in 2015, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the Czech-Turkish business forum in Prague Monday.

Bilateral trade turnover grew to a record $2.5bn (Kc46.95bn) in 2011.

Erdogan said Turkish investment in the Czech Republic is insignificant and he called for an improvement in this area.

Turkish investments in the Czech Republic fail to meet the expectations and are symbolic given the size of the Turkish economy, Erdogan said.

Visas are the main problem, according to him.

A Turkish businessman cannot pick up and leave for the Czech Republic to examine investment and trading opportunities there, said Erdogan. Turks are ready to open up the door, he added.

Erdogan said he was ready to grant Turkish citizenship to any Czech entrepreneur willing to launch business in the country.

If barriers to trade are eliminated, bilateral trade may climb to new record highs, he said.

Turkish imports amount to $240bn, of which $1.4bn worth of goods comes from the Czech Republic, which is not sufficient, according to Erdogan.

Energy projects are the main and the most dynamic area of the two countries' economic cooperation.

"Czech contractors are taking part in the implementation of some big energy projects, especially in the construction of two coal-fired power plants," Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said at the forum.

"I believe the modernisation of energy facilities in Turkey will bring a number of interesting opportunities for Czech firms also in the future," Necas said.

Transport engineering, mining and car industry are promising areas for cooperation, according to him.

Bilateral talks of Czech and Turkish firms have taken place at the business forum in the afternoon.

The Confederation of Industry said signing of new contracts for domestic companies was not on the agenda, however.

Czech company Vitkovice is building an energy complex and coal-fired power plant Yunus Emre around 150 km of the capital of Ankara.

"The power plant will be hooked to the grid in the middle of next year," Vitkovice Power Engineering head Martin Pecina told CTK. The project is worth Kc11.25bn (EUR450m).

Vitkovice has recently acquired in Turkey orders for the supply of boilers worth millions of euros. It also plans to export sewage treatment plants to the country.

Erdogan and Necas said they saw big possibilities of cooperation in the energy sector including nuclear power.

The two countries will soon sign memoranda of strategic partnership in this area.

Czech Industry and Trade Minister Martin Kuba and Turkish Minister of Economy Zafer Caglayan signed a protocol after a meeting of the joint economic commission.