Tunisia is a sort of Mediterranean gateway to Africa, Türkiye’s ambassador to the nation, Ahmet Misbah Demircan, mentioned in an interview printed Monday, highlighting the sturdy industrial ties between the 2 nations.
“Tunisia is a country of tourism, agriculture, phosphate, dates, olive oil, and more,” Demircan instructed the Franchising.market platform, including that it sources many items from Europe, Türkiye and China.
“Currently, we have $1.2 billion in exports across all sectors to Tunisia,” he added.
“Our cultural closeness and the trust Tunisians have in our country and products are at a very high level,” he mentioned.
“Direct trade and semi-finished goods production are possible in Tunisia. Software, energy infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, and the export of industrial spare parts and raw materials are seen as opportunity areas,” he added.
At the identical time, he pointed to schooling and mentioned that 1,600 Tunisian college students are learning in Türkiye.
Furthermore, he cited its tourism enchantment, whereas additionally underscoring the North African nation’s function as “a gateway,” and in addition as “a hub.”
“In line with our country’s African Partnership Policy, it’s fair to say that Tunisia holds a unique potential as a base for Türkiye’s access to Sub-Saharan Africa,” Demircan mentioned.
“Tunisia is essentially the gateway of the Mediterranean to Africa. We want to further highlight Tunisia’s role as a hub. I emphasize this potential of Tunisia at every opportunity and level in our country,” he defined.
The ambassador additionally cited the historic ties and drew consideration to what he mentioned was “trust” of Tunisians for Turkish merchandise.
‘Major milestone’
“We can say that the visit of our trade minister, Mr. Ömer Bolat, to Tunisia on June 25, 2024, was a major milestone in our bilateral relations,” he furthered.
“Our country has made investments worth $712 million in Tunisia,” he added.
Moreover, he mentioned that some 43 Turkish firms present employment to 2,088 individuals in Tunisia. He additionally cited that investments span numerous sectors, together with companies, meals trade, textiles and ready-to-wear, steel, building supplies, plastics, chemical compounds, and transportation.
Demircan additionally mentioned that because the gateway to Africa, Tunisia was “a very important partner and a long-standing friend for Türkiye.”
“It is a stable and significant export market for our country,” he mentioned, including that the free commerce settlement (FTA) that entered into drive in 2014 has enabled commerce to increase throughout a large spectrum.
“Textiles, iron-steel-metal, and machinery equipment stand out as the main areas of our exports,” he maintained.
From a franchise and retail perspective, the popularity of Turkish meals, textile, and industrial merchandise in Tunisia is “quite high,” in response to the ambassador.
“In food exports, products like Turkish delight, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pine nuts are among the top items. Many well-known Turkish textile and ready-to-wear brands already have franchise stores in Tunisia, and these brands are well-received,” he elaborated.
Economic potential
Referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s “equal partnership” imaginative and prescient relating to relations with African nations, Demircan mentioned they’re “ready to work on cooperation and investment opportunities in all areas on a win-win basis.”
“We firmly believe that the economic potential between us and Tunisia – viewed as the entry point to the Maghreb and Africa – will be realized in the near future.”
Answering the query associated to incentives that Tunisian authorities provide to international traders, he cited some key precedence sectors that Tunisia promotes, reminiscent of nanotechnology, biotechnology, electronics trade, meals trade, automotive, aerospace, maritime, railway trade, textile and attire trade, data and communication applied sciences, and renewable power sectors.
He additionally talked about commerce as an inseparable a part of diplomacy, whereas additionally pointing to the function of the personal sector. “The private sector not only advances our economic ties, but also contributes to strengthening the relations between our countries, which are connected by history and geography,” he mentioned.
