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Saturday, 02 July 2011
Iraq, Turkey to open new border crossing
The Iraqi Trade Ministry has stated that a new border crossing with Turkey will be opened soon in an effort to ease traffic at the existing crossings and increase trade.
The crossing will be constructed near the existing Ibrahim al-Khalil border point in Duhok province, in Kurdistan Region, after agreement between the Turkish and Iraqi governments.
The Iraqi government announced recently that trade between Iraq and Turkey in 2010 was between $8 and 10 billion, making it the second biggest trade partner after Iran. Trade with Turkey has grown at a fast rate in recent years. Before the 2003 invasion, Iraq was Turkey's 10th largest trade partner, and now it is fifth.
Since 2003, there has been a huge traffic on the Ibrahim al-Khalil border crossing. The Ibrahim al-Khalil border gate is the only official passage connecting Iraq to Turkey. Hundreds of trucks and visitors cross the passage daily.
In 2007, the Turkish government discussed closing the Ibrahim al-Khalil gate, and started negotiations with Syrian authorities to make Nusebin the trade route between Iraq and Turkey.
At that time, Turkey considered Kurdistan Region as a threat to Turkey's long-term regional interests. It believed that, having a stable economy, the Kurdish authorities in the region would declare their independence, an event that would affect some 20 million Kurds living in Turkey's Kurdistan. Now, Turkey and Kurdistan Region have strong trade and political relations.
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Iraq, Turkey to open new border crossing
The Iraqi Trade Ministry has stated that a new border crossing with Turkey will be opened soon in an effort to ease traffic at the existing crossings and increase trade.
The crossing will be constructed near the existing Ibrahim al-Khalil border point in Duhok province, in Kurdistan Region, after agreement between the Turkish and Iraqi governments.
The Iraqi government announced recently that trade between Iraq and Turkey in 2010 was between $8 and 10 billion, making it the second biggest trade partner after Iran. Trade with Turkey has grown at a fast rate in recent years. Before the 2003 invasion, Iraq was Turkey's 10th largest trade partner, and now it is fifth.
Since 2003, there has been a huge traffic on the Ibrahim al-Khalil border crossing. The Ibrahim al-Khalil border gate is the only official passage connecting Iraq to Turkey. Hundreds of trucks and visitors cross the passage daily.
In 2007, the Turkish government discussed closing the Ibrahim al-Khalil gate, and started negotiations with Syrian authorities to make Nusebin the trade route between Iraq and Turkey.
At that time, Turkey considered Kurdistan Region as a threat to Turkey's long-term regional interests. It believed that, having a stable economy, the Kurdish authorities in the region would declare their independence, an event that would affect some 20 million Kurds living in Turkey's Kurdistan. Now, Turkey and Kurdistan Region have strong trade and political relations.
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