Turks and Armenians to unite for wine production
armradio.am
13.09.2008 12:33
As tensions between Turkey and Armenia have been slightly reduced as a
result of last week’s football game between the two countries,
businessmen are feeling encouraged to participate in joint projects.
`The Turkey-Armenia match has given us hope. Production projects have
gathered pace. Some day, it may be possible to establish a joint
facility,’ said Noyan Soyak, co-chairman of the Turkish-Armenian
Business Development Council, the Turkish Daily News reported.
Businessmen, who have used indirect means to continue trading with
Armenia despite an embargo imposed since 1993, started to display their
partnership-based projects more bravely after the game. Believing that
a more comfortable environment for business affairs may now come about,
businessmen have made a decision to launch a joint wine production.
Turkish, Armenian and Georgian businessmen had already launched a
collective cheese production last year under the leadership of the
Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council.
The historic World Cup playoff has begun a new period for the project,
said Ä°lhan Koçulu, a businessman from Turkey’s northeastern city of
Kars. `We were very nervous during the first months following the
launch of the project. The meeting of the two countries’ president has
relieved us. We will continue our partnership, which started with
cheese, with wi
ne now.’
`This game marks the starting point of a new period for our projects.
The mild winds after the match have encouraged us. When we first set
off, we had in mind to accomplish what politicians fail to do; because
the conflicts between the countries may be settled, not via
bureaucratic paths, but through economic and cultural dialogue,’ said
Koçulu.
Besides wine production, there is also a joint project for medicinal
herbs, said Koçulu. `Herbs constitute another common aspect of the
Caucasus. We know that there are several types of herbs, on which there
are scientific studies, in Kars. But Georgia and Armenia are very
advanced in this field. The classification and the purposes are well
known. Within this scope, a plant was established in the BoÄ?aztepe
village of Kars. In the pilot program, which features 36 women,
medicinal herbs are farmed and dried. There is ongoing work on 25 types
of herbs.’
Just like Koçulu, who believes that communities have become familiar
with each other due to cheese production, Soyak said the project loomed
large for the dialogue of the people in the region. The cheese produced
by Turkish, Armenian and Georgian dairymen would not be consumed just
on the domestic market, but also be exported, said Soyak. `We aim to
see patents completed by 2009. We would like to see the consumption of
this product, particularly amongst the
diaspora.’