Amman Chamber of Commerce calls for redrafting trade agreement with Turkey

AMMAN — Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Chairman Khalil Haj Tawfiq on Tuesday expressed his hope that the Jordan-Turkey free trade agreement would be redrafted. 

Haj Tawfiq said that the two countries should work on preparing an agreement that would guarantee “justice” to all stakeholders, increase the volume of bilateral trade, support Jordan and Turkey’s national industries and boost momentum within a number of key sectors, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

The chairman’s remarks came during a meeting between the ACC and its Istanbul counterpart, during which they agreed to begin a “new economic era”, by holding “promotional days” in Istanbul in September to showcase economic and investment opportunities in Jordan.

“The Turkish delegation’s visit is a new start for the enhancement of trade and investment relations so that they may reach new levels, which fulfil the ambitions of the two countries,” Tawfiq said. 

The chairman expressed his gratitude for Turkey’s political stances towards Hashemite Custodianship over Jerusalem’s holy sites.

He also pointed to the fact that approximately 300,000 Jordanian tourists visited Turkey last year, which is a sign of the good relations shared between the two peoples and their leaders, according to the chairman. 

During the meeting, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Sekib Avdagiç said that the current volume of trade exchange between Jordan and Turkey, estimated at $1 billion, does not reflect the depth of the historic bilateral relations, nor the two countries’ potential. 

He reiterated Haj Tawfiq’s hopes for a revived free trade agreement that would push the aforementioned figure to $5 billion.