UPDATE 2 - Turkey may set up industrial zone in Belarus, says min.

UPDATES WITH MINISTER'S SPEECH ON INNOVATION FORUM

By Deniz Cicek Palabiyik and Ali Cura

ANKARA/MINSK (AA) - Ankara may establish an industrial zone in Belarus, Turkey’s Science, Industry and Technology Minister Faruk Ozlu said on Thursday.

"Some of our organized industrial sites have substantial resources. Some of them were newly established. The demand came from them.

"Now, our organized industrial sites in Turkey may establish an industrial zone in Belarus," Ozlu said, according to a ministry statement.

Ozlu's remarks came during his meeting with Turkish businesspeople at a Turkey-Belarus innovation forum in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

He echoed Belarusian government, which said: "We have reserved a place [for you] here, come and do business here."

The minister said Turkey continues to grow, adding: "Industry is growing faster than other sectors."

Later, Ozlu met his Belarusian counterpart Vitaly Vovk and said there was "substantial" economic growth in Turkey.

"With the growth rate in the economy, Turkey will be one of the leading countries in the world," Ozlu said.

Ozlu said Turkey and Belarus can cooperate in the area of information technology.

"This would be the most concrete cooperation area between Turkey and Belarus," he added.

Vovk said there is "very high" quality of production and a well-trained work force in Turkey.

"Turkey and Belarus can benefit from each other," he added.

Addressing the innovation forum, Ozlu said Belarus had received $1.5 billion in investments from Turkish entrepreneurs so far.

"There is no reason why trade volume between Turkey and Belarus cannot soon reach $1 billion [from] around $600 million," he said.