Cultural and linguistic commonalities between Tabriz and Konya can pave the way for closer ties in trade, industry and tourism. Samad Hassanzadeh, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture of East Azarbaijan Province, made the statement in a meeting between traders and economic officials from Tabriz and visiting businessmen from Konya, the capital of Turkey’s Konya Province, last week, IRNA reported. Hassanzadeh added that due to low end-prices as well as cheap and skilled workforce in Iran, the country is suitable for export-oriented investments. “Tabriz traders and industrialists are ready to enter into joint ventures with their Turkish counterparts, particularly in the sectors of mines, steel, automobile manufacturing, hospitality and hypermarkets,” he said. Noting that investment in handicraft, ceramic and textile industries are lucrative in Tabriz, Hassanzadeh called on Turkish industrialists to transfer some of their factories to Tabriz so that the two sides can benefit from increased exports. Based on an agreement between Iran and Turkey, Turkish investors enjoy a 20-year tax exemption in the industrial sector and a five-year exemption in tourism, said director general of Economic Affairs and Finance Organization of East Azarbaijan, Reza Hosseini. He added that Konya’s investors will receive extra tax incentives in Tabriz. Tabriz is the most populated city in northwest Iran (1.54 million). There are hundreds of industrial complexes in Tabriz industrial zone, including Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company, which is one of the biggest industrial complexes in the region.
