High demand for Turkish goods in Kurdistan Region
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq and the Kurdistan Region are one of the largest importers from Turkey, with Turkish goods and businesses receiving high demand from the public consistently.
Haji Mohammed is the owner of a Turkish restaurant in Erbil and has been working in the Kurdistan Region capital for the past 16 years.
“I have received no discrimination or different treatment for being from Turkey. It is as if I am from Erbil, considering all the facilitation that has been done for me. And the customers like Turkish food,” Haji Mohammed, a restaurant owner, told Rudaw’s Bakhtyar Qadir on Sunday.
Saman Shekhani is the owner of a store in Erbil. Over 40 percent of the items in the store are either made from Turkey, or made in Erbil with Turkish imported materials.
“Out of 10,000 items, more than 4,000 are Turkish, and there is high demand for Turkish products from the public since it is a Muslim country and their products can be trusted, in addition to their high quality,” Shekhani said.
Iraq imported around 1.1 billion dollars’ worth of goods from Turkey in January, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), making it the third largest importer from Turkey.
“We are close to Turkey territorially, and we share close ties with Turkish companies, as they are often participating in international fairs and exhibits. They are always seeking stronger relations with us,” Mohammed Shafiq, sales manager of a Turkish company, stated.
“Their products are good quality and are sold at affordable prices based on the Kurdistan Region market,” he added.
Iraq-Turkey relations have been steadily developing over the past two decades, mainly attributed to the strong ties between Ankara and Erbil.
Haji Mohammed is the owner of a Turkish restaurant in Erbil and has been working in the Kurdistan Region capital for the past 16 years.
“I have received no discrimination or different treatment for being from Turkey. It is as if I am from Erbil, considering all the facilitation that has been done for me. And the customers like Turkish food,” Haji Mohammed, a restaurant owner, told Rudaw’s Bakhtyar Qadir on Sunday.
Saman Shekhani is the owner of a store in Erbil. Over 40 percent of the items in the store are either made from Turkey, or made in Erbil with Turkish imported materials.
“Out of 10,000 items, more than 4,000 are Turkish, and there is high demand for Turkish products from the public since it is a Muslim country and their products can be trusted, in addition to their high quality,” Shekhani said.
Iraq imported around 1.1 billion dollars’ worth of goods from Turkey in January, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), making it the third largest importer from Turkey.
“We are close to Turkey territorially, and we share close ties with Turkish companies, as they are often participating in international fairs and exhibits. They are always seeking stronger relations with us,” Mohammed Shafiq, sales manager of a Turkish company, stated.
“Their products are good quality and are sold at affordable prices based on the Kurdistan Region market,” he added.
Iraq-Turkey relations have been steadily developing over the past two decades, mainly attributed to the strong ties between Ankara and Erbil.