Baghdad Chamber of Commerce and ATSO Sign Cooperation Agreement

Baghdad Chamber of Commerce and ATSO Partnership ATSO President Davut Çetin hosted Alaa Abdel-Saheb Al-Nouri, Head of Investment Department at Baghdad Chamber of Commerce. During the visit, agreement was reached on signing a cooperation protocol between Baghdad Chamber of Commerce and ATSO. Davut Çetin, President of Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO), noted that trade between Iraq and Turkey will develop further with an increase in the number of Iraqi tourists visiting Antalya, stating: "We have signed cooperation protocols with chambers of commerce and industry from 30 different cities abroad. I hope the protocol we will sign with Baghdad Chamber of Commerce will be beneficial for both cities." During the visit, Davut Çetin provided information on trade between Antalya and Iraq, saying: "In Antalya's total exports of USD 2.429 billion in 2021, our exports to Iraq reached approximately USD 25 million. During the same period, our imports from Iraq were USD 581,800. Of the 5,100 foreign-capital companies registered with our chamber, 72 are Iraqi-capital enterprises. These companies operate in fields such as tourism, construction, real estate, and food and beverage services. While 1,374,896 people came from Iraq to Turkey in 2019, the number of Iraqis visiting Antalya was only 51,952. Considering that Antalya receives 15-16 million tourists annually, this figure is very low. I believe that as these numbers increase, trade between the two countries will also grow. We have signed cooperation protocols with chambers of commerce and industry from 30 different cities abroad. I hope the protocol we will sign with Baghdad Chamber of Commerce will be beneficial for both cities," he explained.

Antalya - I have not seen a city developing as rapidly

President Davut Çetin invited Nouri to Antalya with a purchasing delegation from Baghdad for the Growtech Agricultural, Hotel Equipment, and Food Product trade fairs scheduled to be held in the coming months. Alaa Abdel-Saheb Al-Nouri, Head of Investment Department at Baghdad Chamber of Commerce, stated in his remarks that they are working to increase the annual trade volume between Turkey and Iraq from the current USD 20 billion level in coming years. Noting that Baghdad Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1926 and has 480,000 members, Nouri said: "I came to Antalya six years ago. Due to my duties, I have been in many parts of the world and seen many cities, but I have not seen a city developing as rapidly as Antalya."

'Sister Chamber' protocol to be signed

Nouri, noting that there are two flights per week from Baghdad to Antalya, stated: "With the development of cooperation between our chambers, the number of Iraqi holidaymakers and investors visiting Antalya in the coming period will increase." Nouri invited President Davut Çetin to the International Baghdad Fair scheduled for 1-10 November, and the two presidents reached an agreement to sign a "Sister Chamber" protocol in the coming days.