Israel to ease visas for Turkish businesspeople

Israel will provide Turkish business leaders with longer visas to the country in the future, according to Israel's consul general to Istanbul, Shai Cohen.

"For example, if one of you is involved in a visa application, it will be a three-year, multi-entry visa type," Cohen said Feb. 21 at the Turkey-Israel Business Forum organized by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM).

"The visa application will be a multi-entry visa type, so you will be able to travel for an unlimited number of times to Israel if you wish," he said. "We have already begun to work on facilitating the procedures for businessmen to come to Israel."

TİM discussed the improvement in mutual ties between the two countries following a normalization process. 
Cohen said they had witnessed a great change in mutual relations and that they had begun to see the effects of the reconciliation process on all stakeholders.

"Experts say that our trading potential is $8 billion, while the current figure is about $4 million to 5 billion," he said, setting a three-year target to reach the goal. 

Turkish Airlines currently operates 10 to 12 flights to Tel Aviv per day, while Israeli businesspeople also fly to different destinations with the Turkish national carrier. 

Cohen also said he would discuss non-tariff barriers faced in the fruit and vegetable trade with Israeli officials and inform Turkish businessmen on the matter as soon as possible.

TİM Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi said the business group aimed to reach 71,000 exporters this year and that its members provided employment to 3.1 million people. 

TİM aims to increase the employment figure to 3.5 million by the end of the year, he said. 

Turkey's exports to Israel reached $3...