TURKISH MINISTER SAYS JAPANESE FIRMS EAGER FOR TURKISH PROJECTS

TOKYO (A.A) - Turkey's state minister for foreign trade said on Saturday that Japanese companies were interested in several projects in Turkey.
Zafer Caglayan said Japanese Itachi firm was willing to undertake the projects to construct a third bridge on the Bosphorus and Izmit Gulf transition.
"The company also says it is interested in nuclear power plant project, and Taisei is interested in new railways in Turkey," Caglayan told reporters.
Caglayan met presidents and CEOs of six giant Japanese companies, the annual turnovers which are around 430 billion USD, on the sidelines of his visit to Tokyo. The mentioned companies are Toshiba, Taisei, Itachi, Sumitomo, Aeon and Mayakewe.
According to Caglayan, Sumitomo is interested in geothermal energy and Aeon is willing to enter textile, ready-to-wear, leather and shoe business in Turkey.
Taisei is eager to cooperate with Turkish contractors in East and North Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa, and thinks of undertaking contracting and consultancy projects.
Toshiba is interested in the nuclear power plant project, whereas Mayakewe thinks of moving its factory in Belgium to Turkey.
Exports to Japan were around 233 million USD, and 175 million USD in the first eight months of 2010 with 20.5 percent rise over the same period of 2009. Imports from Japan were 2.8 billion USD in 2009 and 2 billion USD between January and August 2010. The rise in imports was 12.6 percent in the first eight months of 2010 over the same period of 2009.
(BRC)