By Ayse Humeyra Atilgan
Spain is supporting Turkey's EU bid, according to Spain's Consul General in Istanbul, Pablo Benavides Orgaz.
"Personally speaking, I will do my best during my office in Istanbul to promote the candidacy of Turkey for the EU," Orgaz told the Anadolu Agency (AA).
"The negotiations are not easy; it took 14 years for Spain to complete the negotiations with the EU. It is complicated, but we worked hard, and at the end we got very important financial help from EU. Similarly, Turkey has to make the necessary reforms."
If Turkey becomes a member of the EU, it will become its second biggest country with 75 million people.
Orgaz said that Turkey is cooperating with Spain to bring together financial resources that can be used against terrorism. Both countries are in an EU twinning system to boost cooperation. Twinning is a European Commission initiative that was originally designed to help candidate countries acquire the necessary skills and experience to adopt, implement and enforce EU legislation.
Spain is the tenth most important foreign investor in Turkey. "The number of Turkish investors in Spain has increased; it is really promising when compared to the past."
Orgaz said that the trading volume between the two countries stood at 8 billion euros in 2012 and 10 billion euros last year.
"We are working hard in transportation systems, including the high-speed train between Ankara and Istanbul. Spanish participation in the Marmaray project was around 35 percent, in the signaling operations, in particular, which are all good examples of the improving cooperation between two countries."
"Now, we are also discussing how to cooperate in the other markets in third countries. Spain is trying to increase its trade and investment in Central Asia and the Middle East through Turkey, and at the same time, Turkish companies are trying to find more markets in Latin America and North Africa through Spain."
englishnews@aa.com.tr
