Turkish economy minister says exports up despite Euro-debt crisis, Mideast uprisings

MOSCOW (A.A) - December 2, 2011 - Turkish economy minister estimated that Turkey's exports volume would reach a record high of 135 billion USD this year, saying exports saw a significant boost despite a crippling debt crisis in Europe and political and social turbulence in the Middle East, two major markets for Turkish goods. Speaking to Turkish businesspeople in Moscow, Zafer Caglayan said Thursday exports in the first 11 months of 2011 had reached to 122.2 billion USD, adding that the volume in November was 10.8 billion USD, the highest since 2007. Caglayan pays a visit to Moscow to attend the inauguration ceremony of Turkish IsBank's branch in the Russian capital. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday.          Caglayan said the Turkish government was set to open trade centers in many parts of the world in cooperation with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, or TOBB, adding that the centers would be in charge of supporting Turkish businesspeople in their legal, bureaucratic and banking dealings.