The Turkey-Egypt Economic and Trade Relations Meeting, hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey and attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Bedr Abdulati, was also attended by Levent Hakkı Yılmaz, President of the İskenderun Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The program included an exchange of views on developing economic and trade relations between the two countries. TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkish companies" investments in Egypt have exceeded $3 billion and provided employment for approximately 100,000 people, while emphasizing that the trade volume between the two countries must reach the $15 billion target.

ITSO President Levent Hakkı Yılmaz, speaking at the meeting, emphasized Iskenderun"s strategic position in regional trade. “The revival of relations between Turkey and Egypt has brought many economic, commercial, social, and cultural gains to both countries,” said Yılmaz, noting that İskenderun Bay, the closest gateway to North African countries, has played a significant role in this process.

In his speech, Yılmaz stated that İskenderun Bay stands out in trade with Egypt in terms of its port capacity, cargo diversity, and maritime connections:

“According to data from the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, İskenderun Port Authority ranked third in Turkey among our ports in terms of cargo handling tonnage between January and September 2025. The most exported goods from our region to Egypt are iron and steel, chemical products, fertilizer, and construction materials, while coal and raw materials are particularly important from Egypt. Article entries are being made.”

Yılmaz stated that Ro-Ro and container transportation are actively operating in the region, with regular services operating on the Iskenderun-Dimyat line. He added that periodically occurring operational and bureaucratic obstacles cause delays in trade flow. “Delayed arrival of bills of lading, frequent changes in import regulations, and Ro-Ro line capacity issues increase costs. However, we are pleased to see that many problems reported in previous years have largely been resolved, and relations are entering a period of improvement,” he said.

The ITSO President emphasized the deep-rooted friendship and cultural ties between Turkey and Egypt, stating that he believes foreign trade volume could reach $8 billion to $15 billion if trade barriers are removed.