President says Turkey's rising profile product of active foreign policy

“Over the past few years, Turkey has become a country that draws more interest not only in its region but in the international arena as well. And one of the reasons for that is the foreign policy our country implements,” Gül said at a gala dinner for the Turkey-World Trade Bridge organized by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) in İstanbul on Tuesday.

Gül said in 2006 the overall number of Turkish diplomatic missions was only 12 and that the country has almost tripled this figure, opening 22 more embassies in Africa since then. “Turkey lay a solid foundations in its drive to boost its international relations in politics as well as in economy and trade,” Gül said.

The president said Turkey attached great importance to increasing its trade all over the world, adding that economic relations were part of political relations between countries. “Our ambassadors are ordered to pay attention to economic activities as much as they do to political issues. And they follow this order very well by closely engaging with the Turkish companies doing business and investments outside of Turkey, giving them all the help they need,” Gül said.