Turkey plans to open new border gates with Iran, Iraq, Georgia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazici says the country plans to open new border gates with Iran, Iraq and Georgia, Press TV reports.

Yazici said in Ankara that the project had already gone underway since the volume of Turkey's foreign trade had witnessed a considerable growth and the available gates could not meet the demands.

The Turkish official noted that the gate with the Islamic Republic would be set up at Dilucu region - in the eastern Turkey province of Igdir - on the common border with Iranian province of West Azerbaijan.

The portal is expected to open up in 2013 as the fourth crossing between the two countries.

Turkish and Iranian officials are planning a joint field visit soon to decide on the exact location of the crossing, Yazici stated.

He added that the value of Iran-Turkey trade had surpassed USD 11 billion over the past eight years. Iranian and Turkish officials have repeatedly voiced determination to enhance the volume to USD 30 billion in the coming years.

Yazici added that Ankara also planned to open four such gates with Georgia and another four with Iraq.

The official noted that the past eight years had also seen a five-fold rise in the amount Turkey's trade with Georgia, while taking the volume of bilateral trade with Iraq to USD 8 billion.