Türkiye demands more from the US
Türkiye has demanded that the US remove quotas on Turkish goods during a visit to the country by US secretary of state Colin Powell. The Turkish foreign minister, Ismail Cem said that economic relations should be opened up between the two countries in a joint press statement issued with the US Secretary of State.
Also discussed in the meeting was the issue of debt, in particular the $5 billion in military debt which Türkiye wants the US to write off. Türkiye has also borrowed $15.7 billion in loans from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank with the support of the US. In return for the loans, the government has carried out a programme of economic reforms.
Türkiye exported $2.8 billion worth of goods to the US in 2000, and leather, textiles and clothing accounted for at least 40%. The US Secretary of State said that he would pass on the Turkish government’s requests and said that the country must continue pushing through economic reforms.
