Deputy Undersecretary of Customs Bülent Ertem told the Anatolia news agency yesterday that the undersecretariat and the Russian Federal Customs Service had signed a common protocol for this aim, after comprehensive negotiations last week. The cooperation will largely work against drug trafficking at the borders, as well as across countries. "We will combine our efforts with the Russians on this issue, including sharing information and even common operations," Ertem said.
According to the protocol, both sides will increase their investigations into, and patrols around, the ports of the Black Sea to curb smuggling. Ertem informed that the officials from both sides will get together again in the coming months to discuss technical details, and determine the necessary legal infrastructure for the partnership. He added they were in attempts to cooperate with other countries in the region as well. "A thorough and total war against any kinds of illegal trade and bootlegging is a must," he asserted.
The discussions with the Russians also included the "green corridor" system, devised to allow Turkish products into Russian markets smoothly and without any barriers. "We are purporting to ease our foreign trade with the Russian Federation by this Green Corridor system, which was first brought to the agenda by Foreign Trade Minister Kürşad Tüzmen," Ertem noted. He expressed his hopes that the talks will bear positive results in establishing the corridor, a similar of which is already in operation between Russia and Finland.
Todays Zaman, LINK
Comments