Turkey: Bulgaria Is Our Gateway to Europe

Bulgaria is not only Turkey's neighbor, but also our gateway to Europe, stated Chairman of the Turkish-Bulgarian Business Council , Zeki Saribekir, in a written statement quoted by BNR.

"Bulgaria is a very important country for us. It is not only our neighbor, but also our gateway to Europe. The larger part of exports to Europe, which accounts for half of Turkey's entire exports, pass through Bulgaria. Annually, more than one million TIR trucks haul commercial goods through Bulgaria from checkpoints Kapakule, Derekoy and Hamzabeyli," says Saribekir.

According to him, the commodity exchange that Turkey realizes with Bulgaria amounts to USD 4.5 billion per year. It is balanced, as Turkey's exports to Bulgaria goods to the amount close to USD 2.4 billion and Bulgaria's to Turkey to USD 2.1 billion.

"In 2021, we plan to increase mutual commodity exchange to five billion dollars, and we expect it to reach 6-7 billion dollars in 2023," said Chair of the Turkish-Bulgarian Business Council, which operates within the Council for Foreign Economic Relations of Turkey (DEIK).

Zeki Saribekir proposes to set up a joint logistics center with Bulgaria in Europe, as well as to intensify ro-ro transport.

"About 20 percent of our exports to Europe can be transported by train. Ro-ro is a good alternative for TIR transport. Bulgaria has the ports of Varna and Burgas, Romania the port of Costanta. Bari in Italy is also an important point, but the important thing is to prioritize the alternative channels.

Our Trade Ministry also focuses on the establishment of logistics centers. By providing faster passage of TIR trucks through Bulgaria and the Balkans, we may create a joint logistics and dispatch center in Europe.

If we introduce a code...