Sri Lanka has sought market access in Turkey for its goods when Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited Sri Lanka for the promotion of the bilateral trade between the two countries. 

Mevlüt Friday, who was on a one-day visit to Sri Lanka, held a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and discussed the diversification of trade between Colombo and Ankara. Talks were also held for opening the Turkish market for a range of Sri Lankan goods. 

Both Turkey and Sri Lanka have been going through an economic crisis and seeking to expand their exports in different markets. High inflation plagued both countries.

Mevlüt also said Turkish investors will be made aware of investment opportunities in Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka, with its ambitious Colombo Port City Project, has been trying to woo foreign investors. However, China remains the dominant investor in the country by a great margin. During the meeting, Rajapaksa thanked Mevlüt for the assistance provided by Turkey to control the Covid-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka.

Turkey’s economy suffered a blow last year when the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put Ankara on its Grey List for its weak anti-money laundering measures. 

(SAM)