ANKARA 

A delegation of Turkish contractors went to Portugal to examine and negotiate a share of the €100 billion (about $115.8 billion) infrastructure and superstructure project planned for the next five years, the Turkish Contractors’ Association (TMB) said on Monday.

The delegation is visiting Lisbon and Porto in collaboration with the Turkish Ministry of Trade, and the visit will last until Thursday.

Turkish contractors will meet with the Portuguese Infrastructure and Housing Ministry, Trade and Investment Agency, and other relevant public institutions and organizations to discuss large-scale investment projects.

They will also hold bilateral talks with Portuguese firms to evaluate cooperation opportunities.

Some $52.1 billion will be allocated to infrastructure projects, with the remainder from the total—up to $115.8 billion—to be used for housing, transportation, energy, and urban development under public-private partnerships.

Erdal Eren, president of the TMB, said in a statement that the deal in Portugal could open a new door for Turkish contractors into Europe. “Turkish contractors undertook more than 12,000 projects worth $546.5 billion in 137 countries to date, while 1,649 of these projects—worth $55.4 billion—were in Europe,” he said.

“We aim for Turkish contractors to play an active role in Portugal and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries in the coming period, and we believe this visit will lay the foundation for long-term partnerships,” he added.