CORRECTS - Turkey’s foreign trade gap decreases 45%

CORRECTS TITLE OF FM TO TRADE MINISTER IN LEDE

By Furkan Gencoglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey reduced its foreign trade gap by 45% and reached $29 billion from $54 billion, said the country’s trade minister on Saturday.

Ruhsar Pekcan’s remarks came at the Commercial Diplomacy Award Ceremony of Turkey's Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK).

“The ratio of exports to imports rose to 85.8% this year,” she said.

“It is the highest rate seen in the last 62 years since 1957,” she added.

She underlined the difficulties Turkey has faced throughout the year and said while the export rate of the 50 most exporting countries decreased by 2.7% as of October 2019, Turkey’s export rate had increased 2.04%.

She also stressed that developing countries have started to get more shares from the global economy since 2000 and it triggered trade wars between the countries which affect the global economy.

Underlining DEIK’s importance for Turkey, she greeted the attendees for their contributions to the economy.

“We acted with a common mind, and as a whole, we found a synergy that opened up the horizon,” said Nail Olpak, head of the DEIK.

“We have brought our business councils from a region-based structure to a country-based structure,” he added.

The winners were awarded in different categories at the end of the ceremony.

*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin