Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the meeting TOBB Board Vice President Ç. Ali Kopuz stated that Iğdır more than deserves this investment, “Iğdır has increased employment by 80% in the last 5 years, in the midst of the global crisis. The number of establishments has increased by 71%. Iğdır has a very bright future. This province is among the busiest in terms of transportation and logistics. Once the modernization is complete, Iğdır will truly pen a story of its success.

We’ve invested 300 million TRY in the 7 customs gates we are also continuing to invest 450 million TRY on 5 gates. We’ve laid the foundations for Halkalı and Çıldır-Aktaş. Today, we stand in Dilucu. We have paid 250 million TRY in taxes in the last 6 years. A billion TRY in total. The private sector has saved 410 million TRY yearly.

The number of vehicles passing through our modernized gates has exceeded 13 million while the number of passengers has exceeded 74 million. All of this achieved without spending a single centime.”

- Customs and Commerce Minister Yazıcı

Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı emphasized the importance of the work done in regards to the customs gates and stated that it facilitated matters for the business world, “Not a single centime is spent from the treasury. Deliberation and calculations are done by TOBB and GTİ, duration is calculated with regards to profit projections. There are those who critique us without understanding the process. They think that the gates have been given off to TOBB.”

At the end of the ceremony, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu and Minister Yazıcı knocked painted eggs together as per the Nevruz tradition.

- Dilucu Customs Gate

TOBB and GTİ will modernize the Dilucu Customs Gate connecting the Turkish Republic with the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan on the built-operate-transfer model. It will cover 79,848 square meters with 18,822 square meters of it indoors.

The facility will include platforms for conducting procedures for inspecting exporting and importing TIRs, Customs Directorate offices, passport control and customs for travelers as well as, commercial units, waiting rooms, search hangar and housing for the personnel.

GTİ has modernizedHabur, Cilvegözü, Kapıkule, Sarp, Hamzabeyli and Nusaybin customs gates to date.