Minister says Turkey may use Iraq for transporation if conditions get worse in Syria

We plan to shipp through Iraq if conditions in Syria get worse, says transportation minister

Turkish Transportation, Maritime and Communications Minister Binali YILDIRIM said Tuesday that they planned to conduct transit shipping through Iraq if the conditions in Syria got worse.

Speaking to the AA, YILDIRIM said that the Arab League decision to impose an embargo on Syria had not been implemented yet.
“Turkey extended support to the Arab League on Syria. Our priority is to make sure that the Syrian people do not become victims of the sanctions. We will never prefer to see the Syrians and bilateral trade to get hurt,” YILDIRIM stressed.

Touching on the possibility of conducting trade over Egypt by Ro-Ro ships in case an embargo got imposed on Syria, YILDIRIM said that the issue of establishing Ro-Ro lines between Mersin and Alexandria had come up before the Syrian crisis occurred.

“The shipping between Turkey and Egypt can not be an alternative to Turkey’s shipments through Syria,” Yildirim added.

29 November 2011
SOURCE: SABAH ENGLISH