Turkish PM: Iran a ‘hidden treasure’

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu calls Iran a “hidden treasure,” saying Tehran’s release from the “shackles of sanctions” has ushered in a “golden age” in relations between the two neighbors.

Davutoglu, on the second day of a visit to Iran at the head of a 160-strong delegation, made the remarks during a meeting of Iranian and Turkish traders and business owners in Tehran.

“The geography and economic structures of Iran and Turkey are like the pieces of a puzzle which complete each other,” the IRNA news agency quoted the Turkish premier as saying.

“Iran and Turkey are friends and neighbors; if they cooperate with each other, they can turn to the strongest regional countries,” he added.

“Both our countries must think about a win-win outcome in order to compete with the world economy,” Davutoglu said.

Bilateral trade stood at $22 billion in 2014 before declining to $9 billion as a result of sanctions on Iran. Davutoglu said the two countries can raise this volume to $30 billion.

“If we use existing capacities and bases, we can increase the volume of exchanges to more than $50 billions,” he said.

Davutoglu underlined the need for the removal of red tape in trade between the two countries as he urged joint investments in the two countries.

SS