The Turkish Minister for Commerce Ömer Bolat held a series of contacts in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Friday.
Bolat who arrived in the TRNC on Friday morning attended the 12th Türkiye-TRNC Joint Committee meeting held in Lefkoşa before meeting with state and government officials.
The Turkish Minister of Commerce Ömer Bolat on Friday embarked on his contacts shortly after his arrival with a visit to the mausoleums of the late Turkish Cypriot leader Dr. Fazıl Küçük and the founding TRNC President Rauf Raif Denktaş.
He then met with the TRNC Minister of Economy Olgun Amcaoğlu prior to attending the 12th Türkiye-TRNC Joint Committee meeting held at the Concorde Hotel.
A joint memorandum of understanding as well as a cooperation protocol on the inspection of goods imported to the TRNC was signed by the two ministers after the meeting.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Economy Olgun Amcaoğlu pointed to ongoing efforts to further develop the TRNC’s exports, to create much-needed funding as well as to further invest in the country’s infrastructure.
“Today’s agreements were the most crucial ones for reopening the doors of the TRNC to the world through exports and production, in alignment with Türkiye’s vision. Hopefully, in this struggle for existence in these lands, for the producers, creators, and people of the country, the Turkish Cypriots will have the chance to succeed on the path they have embarked upon under the leading role of the Republic of Türkiye,” he said.
For his part, the Turkish Minister of Commerce Ömer Bolat said that he was extremely encouraged by the progress achieved by the TRNC over the decade.
He said that they will continue to work with their Turkish Cypriot counterparts to further enhance relations between their respective countries as well as to help develop the TRNC’s economy.
As part of his contacts in the TRNC, the Turkish minister will be received separately by the Speaker of Parliament Zorlu Töre and Prime Minister Ünal Üstel.
Bolat will also meet with Finance Minister Özdemir Berova.