Ankara (AA) – Isik Gokkaya, deputy chief of Real Estate Investment Company (GYODER), said the real estate sales increased 89 percent in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period of 2012 following the claims about a decrease in the sale of real property due to Gezi Park incidents.

British overseas real estate agency Spot Blue said there were no problems with the sales in Turkey despite Taksim protests

Evaluating the Turkish real estate market to AA, Walkersaid they had been working on real estate sector in Turkey for the last 10 years, adding there was a growing interest of investors in Turkey. 

“Taksim protests do not change the good picture of Turkey in the long term,” said Walker, adding, “The problem is some media organizations like BBC exaggerating the incidents.”

Stating that the decreasing trend in the stock market of the country was temporary, Walker said the economic indicators of Turkey were going better.

“We had a good week and a good month, having no problems with the sales despite the Taksim protests,” added Walker.

“Today’s determination is another example of the international community’s strong and steady commitment to convince Iran to meet its international obligations.”

Kerry said the nine nations; China, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Taiwan, are on the exemption list because those countries have significantly reduced oil imports from Iran.

The top US diplomat also called the Tehran government to take “concrete actions” to address the concerns of the international community over the Islamic state’s controversial nuclear program, warning that otherwise it would face “increasing isolation and pressure.”

“The grounds are well prepared for Turkish businessmen to invest in Iran’s projects,” the Iranian envoy to Ankara said. 

“Industrial cities such as Tehran, Zanjan, Tabriz and Isfahan welcome Turkish investors for direct or indirect investments there,” Bigdeli added.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on new areas of economic cooperation between the two countries.

According to a recent report by Turkey’s statistics center, the value of trade balance between Tehran and Ankara reached $2.372bln in the first two months of 2013.

In January and February, Turkish exports to Iran rose by 4.3 percent while the imports registered 8.1 percent decline.

Earlier this month, Turkey’s Minister of Development Cevdet Yilmaz voiced Ankara’s willingness to boost trade and economic relations with Tehran, and called for stronger efforts by both sides’ officials to expand economic and trade ties between the two neighboring nations.

The Turkish Minister of Development made the remarks in a meeting with Bigdeli.

Yilmaz called on the two countries’ officials to do their best to increase the trade exchanges between Iran and Turkey.

Meantime, he noted that the value of Iran-Turkey annual trade exchanges should be increased to $35bln.

Iran and Turkey have recently expanded their bilateral relations, especially in trade and energy fields. Trade between Turkey and Iran has risen sharply over the past decade.

Iran-Turkey trade value exceeded $22bln in 2012.

Also, Turkey was Iran’s fifth-largest oil customer in 2011, buying around 200,000 barrels per day, 30 percent of its total imports and more than 7 percent of Iran’s oil exports.

The two countries officials stressed the necessity for stronger relations and pursuing the planned increase of mutual trade to $30bln by 2015.