Turkey to Continue to Trade with Iran

The Turkish Minister of the Economy, Nihat Zeybekci, reacted to US President Trump’s plan for the United States to abandon its nuclear deal with Iran by announcing that Turkey will continue to trade with Iran to the maximum extent possible.

“We will carry on trading with Iran, within the possible framework, and we will not be held accountable by anyone for doing so,” Zeybekchi said in an interview with CNN. According to the Customs Administration of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the fiscal year March 2017 - March 2018, the Iranian non-oil trade with Turkey amounted to $7.18 billion, an increase of 20.01% over the previous year.

Iran exported 14.36 million tons of goods worth $3.99 billion to Turkey throughout the year, registering an increase of 31.41% and 22.88% in tonnage and value, respectively, year on year, according to the Financial Tribune.

Turkey exported 1.83 million tons of goods worth $3.19 billion to Iran in the same period, which indicates a 13% increase in tonnage and growth of 16.61% in cost compared to the 2016-2017 period.

By Dimitri Dolaberidze