Turkey, Tunisia pledge to strengthen economic ties

By Seval Ocak Adiyaman

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Turkey will make every effort to strengthen trade ties with Tunisia, Ankara’s economy minister said on Friday.

Turkey and Tunisia signed deals to promote bilateral relations on energy, industry and trade during Nihat Zeybekci's visit to the North African state.

Zeybekci underlined the importance of Turkish investments in Tunisia and added an agreement to protect and support investment should be signed immediately.

Turkey could import olive oil and phosphate, which is generally used for fertilizer, from Tunisia, Zeybekci said:

"We can buy the whole phosphate that Tunisia produces. We had problems about production and supply. Now, with the agreement … we started to buy phosphate from Tunisia again.”

A first shipment will be worth $30 million, he added.

Zeybekci stated they hoped to negotiate an expansion of a free-trade agreement with Tunisia in another meeting.

Tunisia's Industry and Trade Minister Zied Ladhari said it would be a win-win situation for both countries and he invited Turkish investors to the North African nation.

Turkey's exports to Tunisia totaled $910.5 million in 2016 while imports from the country amounted to $214.3 million in the same period, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute.