Facilities built by Turkish contractors for the Sochi Winter Olympics were very important for the success of the Olympics, said Russian Chamber of Commerce President speaking at a trade and investment forum in Istanbul.
Turkish companies built sports and accommodation facilities prior to Winter Olympics in the Russian city. The exact volume of the projects Turks completed can not be known as Turkish companies took over some projects after they had been started and in many projects Turkish companies were in partnerships. During the most intense period of construction in Sochi 14,000 Turkish workers were working in the projects.
The Russian Federation Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RF-CCI) President Sergei Katyrin added that, Turkish businessmen are doing business in every region of Russia, "Russian firms also have made very big investments in Turkey. Last year, this number was $843 million. We are very pleased with this."
Katyrint also expressed his country's desire to further the trade relations between the two countries. "We are here [in Istanbul] to increase our cooperation with Turkish partners. We have many projects to be worked on. We would exert efforts to realize these projects. We're ready to do everything that we can to further our relations," he noted.
In regards to the latest developments about Crimea - an autonomous region of Ukraine whose population is mainly ethnic Russian - he said that it did not affect the trade relations between Turkey and Russia.
Rizanur Meral, President of TUSCON, Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists also stressed importance of Russia regarding investments.
"2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia will be a big opportunity for Turkish businessmen. Russia will continue being an attraction center for the construction business of Turkey," Meral added.
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