Following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s two-day visit to the Qatari capital of Doha, the two governments have agreed to embark on mutual investments totaling $500 million in agriculture, food and stockbreeding. As part of the new deal, Qatari investors will establish production facilities in Turkey. The new investments are expected to contribute to Turkey’s bid to further industrialize its agriculture sector.
Erdoğan left for Doha on Saturday, accompanied by some 100 Turkish entrepreneurs. On the second day of his visit, Erdoğan met with his Qatari counterpart, Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani.
Prime Minister Erdoğan told reporters following the meeting that the two countries are very close to initiating common projects in the field of energy, too. The Qatari Prime Minster al-Thani, when speaking to reporters, said it is quite likely that a pipeline project to carry liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar to Turkey will start soon. He also said Prime Minister Erdoğan proposed the establishment of high-level strategic cooperation council between the two countries.
The Qatari prime minister also praised the performance of the Turkish economy during the economic crisis, mentioning the recent upgrades of Turkish credit notes by international rating agencies in particular. “The Turkish economy has not only improved in the recent years, it has also gained the confidence of the all world,” he noted. “In the past, volatility was there and your economy was oscillating sporadically. But now, you have got stability, both politically and economically. And you have stability in the foreign exchange rates, too, which is quite significant for any kind of investors.” Al-Thani concluded his speech by saying the two countries are on the verge of signing a number of agreements that will bring them closer to each other. “We have no worries about investing in Turkey,” he asserted.
