Turkey Gets Few Iraqi Drug Orders

Turkish pharmaceutical companies have failed to win the large number oforders they had expected for drugs from Iraq, which will spend about $220 million on importing medicines following permission for these imports from the United Nations, according to the Turkish Economic Press Agency's EBA newsletter.

Press reports in the Turkish capital, Ankara, say that French drugmakers have been successful in winning Iraqi orders because of political support from the French government. These companies had reportedly received orders from Iraq worth some $25 million as of early January, compared with just $1.5 million worth of orders going to Turkish companies.

Turkish businessmen have complained that while the French government had been busy negotiating long-term contracts with Iraq, the Turkish government had failed to make such contacts.