Warding off virus, Turkey seeks to protect trade ties too

Warding off virus, Turkey seeks to protect trade ties too
# 10 April 2020 18:25 (UTC +04:00)

Turkey is looking at ways to protect trade ties from the coronavirus fallout, and cooperation is key, said the nation’s president on Friday, APA reports citing Anadolu Agency.

"Measures against COVID-19 could affect trade badly. For that reason we are working for practical solutions for tariffs and border controls, which will make public health its priority, but will also soften the damage to trade," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a Turkish Council Summit by video link.

Stressing cooperation, he added: "Turkey is at war with an unseen enemy, and the Turkic Council Summit will help strengthen our hand in the fight with COVID-19. We are facing a global socioeconomic crisis along with the pandemic."

"We’re working to be able to carry an extra 3,500 tons of products through the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars [railway] line," Erdogan said.

"Continuing free, open, and rule-abiding international trade and cargo carriers are vital for the continuity of the supply chain," he added.

Saying that the outbreak is also affecting the communications sector, Erdogan said, "I believe our council will also play a role in developing and implementing work on cyber-security."

Turkey has implemented pioneering measures for contact-free trade at its borders to maintain international commerce.

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