Ruhsar Pekcan

Turkey has the potential to utilize opportunities stemming from changing global supply chains due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the country's top trade official said on Nov. 23.

Turkey on June 12 said that it seeks to make its trade with China more sustainable and balanced by enabling high value-added exports.

Turkey on June 4 reopened its customs gates with Iran and Iraq after months of closure due to COVID-19, Turkey's trade minister said onTwitter.

The Habur and Gürbulak customs gates have been reopened for international freight transport, said Ruhsar Pekcan.

Turkey's exports hit $10 billion in May, down 40.9% from the same month last year amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to the preliminary Trade Ministry data on June 2. 

Turkey has launched a financial support package to cushion exporters from the impact of coronavirus, Ruhsar Pekcan, the trade minister, announced on May 22. 

The package, called the Stock Financing Support Package, came into use through Turk Eximbank, according to a press release issued by the Trade Ministry.

Turkey's exports of milk and other dairy products to China will resume, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said on May 21 and added that 54 Turkish companies will be able to export to China.

In a tweet, Pekcan said she welcomed the Chinese dairy market opening to Turkish exporters, after Chinese authorities deemed Turkey an exportable country.

The coronavirus crisis served to demonstrate the importance of trade in services to ensure the sustainability of supply chains, and especially the importance of digital trade, according to Turkey's trade minister.

Turkey on April 29 set up a digital ecosystem for the agriculture sector to establish a direct link between the cultivator and the consumer.

The Turkish government, Facebook and a powerful business group are working together to create a digital training portal for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Turkey's Trade Ministry said on April 28. 

Under a new measure to allow for safe trade with Turkey amid the COVID-19 pandemic, foreign truck drivers who comply with stringent health rules will be able to deliver their cargo and exit the country within 72 hours without being subject to a 14-day quarantine.