The Turkish state minister for foreign trade said on Monday that Turkey's exports still focused on low and medium-technology sectors which had a smaller share in world trade, therefore, the country urgently needed an export-oriented production strategy.

Speaking at the opening of the first meeting of an assessment council set up to carry out studies on an export-oriented production strategy, Turkey's State Minister Zafer Caglayan said today's gathering aimed at creating a "road map" for Turkey's exports.

Caglayan said the meeting would also focus on the latest situation in the European market and the developments regarding Euro/USD parity.

Commenting on Euro/USD parity's effect on export figures, Caglayan said foreign trade figures were calculated based on USD, adding export figures looked like dropping due to the decrease in the parity.

Caglayan said energy costs in imports, as well as using USD for more than 60 percent of imported goods also affected foreign trade negatively.

Industrial products constituted nearly 80 percent of Turkey's exports, and the country's exports were mainly based on a low & medium-technology production structure, Caglayan said.

"At this point, it is obvious that an export-oriented production strategy is an urgent and serious requirement for Turkey," Caglayan said.

The assessment council on export-oriented production strategy was set up under a prime ministry circular in May 2010.

Central Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz, Treasury Undersecretary Ibrahim Canakci and representatives of relevant public institutions and vocational organizations attended the council's first meeting held under the presidency of State Minister Zafer Caglayan in capital Ankara.
 

AA