50 Turkish firms working in Basra – consul

BASRA / IraqiNews.com: There are 50 Turkish companies working in Basra, including major ones carrying out projects in various sectors in the province, according to the Turkish consul in the city on Friday. “The Turkish companies now working in Basra are about 50 and implement projects in the fields of oil, electricity, construction, health and services,” Ali Rizaoglu told IraqiNews.com news agency. “We seek to have a distinguished presence of Turkish firms that can help provide the best services for the local residents in Basra,” he said. He, however, noted that there are some obstacles facing Turkish companies and prevent them from coming to Basra like older laws that delay granting businessmen entry visas to Iraq in addition to other problems pertaining to residence laws and work permits. “After all these impediments are removed there will be many Turkish companies and investors willing to enter the work market in Basra,” Rizaoglu said. The oil-rich port city of Basra, Iraq’s only outlet to international waterways, lies 590 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. AmR (P) 3