KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 (Bernama) -- International Trade and Industry DeputyMinister, Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said Malaysia would be able tosupply a wider range of products and services to the Turkish market.

These include furniture, telecommunication equipment, building materials,rubber products, automotive parts and accessories, household electrical &electronic products, construction and related professional services,healthcare, ICT products and services, and food products.

Although trade between Malaysia and Turkey has been on the rise, it hasyet to reach its true potential, he said at the Malaysia-Turkey BusinessOpportunities Seminar in Istanbul on Monday. The text of the speech wasreleased here.

Ahmad Husni is leading a trade and investment mission to West Asia fromMay 8-15 which covers Turkey, Kuwait and Oman. Turkey is the first stop ofthe three-leg mission.

He said Malaysia had already strong credentials as an exporter of halalfood and non-food products and it was rapidly expanding especially to WestAsia.

In 1995, Malaysia's trade with Turkey stood at US$230 million but itincreased to US$453.3 million in 2004. (US$1=RM3.80)

Malaysia's trade with Turkey expanded by 26.1 percent to reach a recordvalue of US$453.3 million in 2004 compared with US$359.5 million in 2003.

Malaysia's major exports to Turkey were textiles and clothings, electricand electronic products, palm oil, machinery, appliances and parts, andcrude rubber while Malaysia's imports from Turkey were vegetables, rootsand tubers, tobacco, floor coverings, arms and ammunition, textile, andmetallic salts & inorganic acids.

Ahmad Husni said that the prospect of expanding trade and businesslinkages between Malaysia and Turkey would be greater if the businesscommunities recognised the strategic position of both countries in theirrespective regions.

"As the bridge between Asia and Europe, Turkey is well placed to serve asthe conduit for Malaysian products to Eastern Europe, West and CentralAsia," he said.

The deputy minister also said foreign companies were increasingly usingMalaysia as their regional hub and the regional operations were being usedto service markets in East Asia particularly the Asean market.

Asean, with a population of more than 500 million people and a combinedgross domestic product exceeding US$750 billion, groups Brunei, Cambodia,Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailandand Vietnam.

Touching on the construction industry, he said there were strongopportunities for collaborations between companies of both countries asTurkish companies have had strong presence in markets such as West Asia,Central Asia and the Balkans.

He said Malaysian companies were keen to work with Turkish companies andshare their experiences in implementing infrastructure, housing, utilitiesand other projects particularly in third country markets.

"Turkish companies can capitalise on Malaysian companies network in theAsian market," he said.

Also present were Malaysian Ambassador to Turkey, Datuk Ahmad MokhtarSelat, president of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Murat Yalcintas andTurkish Foreign Trade deputy director-general, Osman Bekaroglu.