CORRECTS - Turkish exporters start new campaign

CORRECTS GRAF 5, CHANGES RISE TO STABLE

By Ergin Garip

ANKARA (AA) - Ismail Gulle, the head of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), said on Tuesday they have started a new campaign in line with reforms announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"We are expecting our exports, which were 36 million tons in 2000, to reach 200 million tons in 2023," he said in a statement.

Stating that exports reached 146 million tons in 2019, Gulle said: “With our rising exports, the need for logistics is obviously increasing. Rival countries build their entire strategy on this."

"For example, while China delivers its products to all over the world in 15 days by train, we are not yet able to deliver our products to European countries, which are 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers away, in less than a week," he said.

Citing national figures, he said air cargo for export is falling, while rail cargo is stable.

Therefore, he said, we need to invest in efficient railways.

Gulle added that ship cargo had increased in Turkey from 53.4% to 60.3% between 2014 and 2019.

He also stressed the need to resume Ro-Ro voyages, short for roll-on, at the Alsancak Port in Izmir.

*Writing by Yunus Girgin in Ankara