ARAB AFFAIRS - May 30 - GCC Signs Deal With Turkey.

The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signs a framework agreement with Turkey, which will eventually pave the way for a free trade accord. Turkish Ambassador Ugur Dogan in Riyadh said: This framework economic agreement will pave the way for negotiations for setting up a free trade zone between the Gulf states and Turkey". The negotiations to sign the free trade agreement will begin in July this year and the agreement is expected to be finalised within a year. The agreement was signed by Turkish FM Abdullah Gul and GCC Sec-Gen Abdulrahman Al Attiyah. Turkey and GCC annual trade stands at $3 bn. A statement released by the Riyadh-based GCC General Secretariat said: This accord will also bring Ankara close to member states of the GCC especially in the field of trade and commerce". On the commercial front, Saudi Arabia and Turkey have already forged closer relations. Turkish companies primarily working in construction in Saudi Arabia won $283m worth of contracts in 2004 alone.