TURKEY, IRAN PLAN TO CREATE FREE INDUSTRIAL ZONE

VAN (A.A) - 25.09.2009 - Turkey and Iran plan to set up a free industrial zone, Turkey's industry and trade minister said on Friday.
The idea had come up for consideration last year. Turkey and Iran aim to come to a conclusion on the project by the end of this year.
"The project to establish a free industrial zone at the border was suggested by Iran and we accepted it," Nihat Ergun said.
"Our legal infrastructure and incentives system paves the way for such a project. At the same time, Iran's rich energy, natural gas and natural resources could make a huge contribution to it," Ergun said.
"We attach great importance to this project in order to make it the biggest and leading industry and production hub in the Middle East," he added.
Ergun said the zone would cover eastern provinces Van and Igdir in Turkey which are located along the border with Iran; Igdir in the north and Van in the south.
Igdir also borders with Armenia and Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, a landlocked enclave of Azerbaijan. 
Ergun said such a project could also create jobs for the people of Armenia and Nakhchivan, once relations between Turkey and Armenia as well as Azerbaijan and Armenia are normalized.