Turkish State Minister for foreign trade Zafer Çağlayan told reporters on Monday that a crisis desk for both Tunisia and Egypt was set up under Foreign Trade Undersecretariat of Turkey.
Current and former Turkish trade counselors in Egypt and Tunisia, experts as well as chairmen for Tunisia and Egypt desks of business councils of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), the Union of Chambers & Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), Turkey Exporters' Assembly (TİM) and Turkish Contractors Union will work in these crisis desks, added Çağlayan.
Caglayan noted that first meeting of the crisis desks would be held under his chairmanship on Tuesday. He added that executives of organizations which had investments in Egypt and Tunisia as well as representatives of companies which made exports to these countries would participate in the meeting.
Noting that they would discuss problems, concerns and expectations regarding Tunisia and Egypt during the meeting, Çağlayan said that these expectations, problems and concerns would be conveyed to Tunisian and Egyptian ambassadors in Ankara as well as Turkish ambassadors in these countries.
Tunisian citizens have been staging anti-government protests as anger escalated over soaring unemployment and corruption in the country.
On the other hand, more than 100 people have been killed in protests that erupted in Egypt over the past week against President Hosni Mubarak's rule. THY sent five planes to Cairo and Alexandria to brought back nearly 1,200 Turkish citizens.
