"When you look at our immediate neighbourhoods, which account for over 70 percent of Türkiye’s exports, our immediate neighbourhood qualifies as friend and near,"- Simsek said. /Photo: AA
Through the road project, “we are going to connect Basra Port to highways and railways, all the way to London," he added. Highlighting that Türkiye is friends with the EU, which is one of the largest mature economies as a bloc, Simsek said the country has also very strong historic culture trade ties with the Middle East and North Africa and similarly it is friends with Central Asia.
He also said the bank is a great success story, with 50 years of service, helping reduce poverty, improve infrastructure, and development of member states."The Islamic Development Bank has been a great partner, it has helped to the Turkish economy become more resilient," he added.He said tourism is a major sector for Türkiye, and last year Türkiye was the fourth-largest tourism destination in the world, after France, Spain, and the US.