The president of the Turkish Leathergoods Producers Association, Orhan San, has called on the country's government to increase taxes on imported leathergoods. He complained that even state bodies were using leathergoods imported from China or India in place of locally produced items.

He warned that many of the companies he represents could vanish if policies do not change.

Mr San pointed out that, as recently as 2006, Turkey had 3,000 leathergoods workshops that achieved a combined export revenue of $260 million; the total today is 500.

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