Head of Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce Mehrdad Saadat urged the Iranian government to leave trade with Turkey to the private sector.

He was addressing a conference in the headquarters of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) in Tehran on Sunday where bilateral trade between Iran and Turkey was reviewed.

Referring to Iran’s potential for making $15 billion trade with Turkey, Saadat said that although Iran’s exports to Turkey are on the rise, it is not satisfactory yet.

Noting that the government cannot be a good merchant, he called on the government to provide support for the private sector.

85% of Turkey’s economy is being handled by the private sector and their businesspeople are more inclined to get engaged in interactions with Iranian private sector while the ground is not prepared enough for the partnership of Iranian private sector actors, he said.   

Saadat also urged the need for activating preferential trade between Iran and Turkey as soon as possible.