Today, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in the presence of Erman Topchu, Consul General of the Republic of Turkey in Erbil, Sewar Kamal Hawari, Assistant of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Kamaran Salah Bajgar, Deputy President of the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bilal Kutuk, President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly, Rasul Haji Omar, President of the Iraqi Importers and Exporters Association - Erbil Branch, Kamaran Mohammed Salih, member of the Chamber's Executive Council, and commercial officials from the Turkish Consulate, along with a number of merchants, company owners, and businessmen from Turkey and the Kurdistan Region, a business meeting was organized.
At the beginning of the meeting, Bilal Kutuk, President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly, delivered a speech, thanking the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry for their support and cooperation in organizing this meeting.
Bilal Kutuk said: "We have come with 21 companies, to search for commercial partnership opportunities, economic development, and establish direct relationships. We can deepen commercial activities."
The President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly announced that the total volume of trade exchange between Turkey and Iraq in 2024 was $15 billion, with 34% of this volume falling to the Turkish Exporters Assembly group.
Bilal Kutuk also clarified that their assembly has 150,000 members, distributed across 68 groups and unions, working in 27 sectors.
Then Erman Topchu delivered a speech, announcing: "Our commercial activities with Iraq are mostly conducted through the Kurdistan Region, and with a value of $35 billion, Turkish companies and contractors participate in rebuilding Iraq's economic infrastructure. Thus, Iraq is the first country in the Middle East and the third country in the world in terms of commercial partnership with Turkey."
Also in this meeting, Sewar Kamal Hawari, Assistant of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Kurdistan Regional Government, delivered a speech saying: "Turkey is an important commercial partner of the Kurdistan Region, and most foreign companies in the region are Turkish companies, and their goods are among the best."
Later, Kamaran Salah Bajgar, Deputy President of the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry, delivered a speech discussing the strength of relations between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey. He announced that relations are strong in all aspects, 20-25% of the exchange volume goes to the Kurdistan Region, and Turkey is the main gateway for importing goods to the Kurdistan Region. As a chamber, we encourage strengthening relations.
Rasul Haji Omar, President of the Iraqi Importers and Exporters Association - Erbil Branch, also delivered a speech in the meeting emphasizing the development of commercial relations between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region.
After the presentation of speeches, B2B meetings between the participating Turkish companies and local companies began.