Türkiye is aiming to establish a fishing industry in international waters, the country's president said on Saturday.
"We aim to secure and expand fishing rights for our fishermen globally," Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at the 2024-2025 Fishing Season Opening event in Istanbul.
Türkiye has been making efforts in international fisheries management platforms to protect the interests of Turkish fishermen, Erdoğan said, underlining that the quota amounts Türkiye received in several species are indicative of this effort.
He said Türkiye has increased the number of countries with which it has reached agreements from 10 to 15 last year, mainly African countries.
He added that Türkiye is in the final stages of negotiations with 12 more countries.
Noting that they carry out these activities not with a colonialist approach like other countries, but with a win-win approach, Erdoğan said: "We ensure that the local people and friendly and brotherly states benefit from the added value created."
Turkish investors process their products in the factories they have established and create employment for the citizens of the countries they are in, the president added.
Erdoğan concluded by wishing fishermen a prosperous and profitable season.
