Turkey hopes to double its trade with North Macedonia to $2 billion

Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is in North Macedonia for talks with the Balkan nation’s top officials as the two countries seek to double their 1 billion trade volume. Turkey is North Macedonia’s seventh largest trade partner, and Fidan said Ankara aimed to sign an agreement for the establishment of a “strategic council for cooperation” that will handle the boost in trade. The two ministers also discussed issues related to the Turkish community in North Macedonia, which represents nearly 4% of the country’s 1,8 million population. The Turkish foreign minister also raised the issue of combatting followers of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan whose movement Ankara deems a terrorist organization known as FETO.