Industrialists Against the Iraq Operation

Saban Bas, chair of the Adana Chamber of Commerce (ATO),Seyhmus Akbas, chair of the board of directors of Diyarbakir Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (DISIAD), and Nejat Kocer, president of the Gaziantep Chamber of Industry (GSO), are all against a prospective operation to Iraq by the United States of America (USA).

All three chairmen converge on that a prospective Iraq operation would have a negative effect on Turkey. Bas is worried that the gas transportation would be negatively affected, Akbas is worried that migration would increase, and Kocer is worried about the negative developments awaiting the region.

Bas: Gas transportation would cease to exist

* The trade volume between Turkey and Iraq today, is around 1 billion dollars. But the goal is to reach 2 billion dollars. However, thinking that we can reach that goal in a war situation would be just daydreaming.

* The gas transportation by the Botas company will cease to exist, as it did during the Gulf War.

* The Iskenderun Harbor, Mersin Harbor and Free Zone, and the economy of the region from Gaziantep to Habur will be seriously hurt.

Akbas: Migration will go up

* Just like what happened 10 years ago during the Gulf War, Turkey will be the country to suffer the most, although it is not a side, because the decisions of the United Nations (UN) are abided by.

* We still have not been able to erase the scars of the Gulf crisis. At a time like this, when the country is going through a political crisis and the region is suffering economically, migration to the cities will increase and trading will become impossible.

* Producing uncertain scenarios has a negative effect on the business dynamics. There should be an end to this uncertainty as soon as possible, and a decision favoring our country has to be made.

Kocer: Gaziantep will be affected as much as Turkey is

* We have moved from the "single product, single market" understanding of the times of the Gulf crisis, to a variety of products, quality and an understanding that the whole world is our market.

* During the Gulf crisis, trade was mostly pursued with the Middle Eastern countries. However, today, we have to talk about the commercial relations of Turkey, not the commercial relations of the region. Southeastern Anatolia and the Gaziantep region will be affected as much as Turkey is, from a possible operation in Iraq. (NK/BB)