As a response to a parliamentary question motion submitted by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Turkey’s Customs and Trade Minister Bülent Tüfenkci stated that the information on which municipalities imported the flowers from the Netherlands in the last 2,5 years was a “secret.”
According to a report by Sözcü daily, Turkey has imported 38,195,130 kilograms of flowers worth $86 million from the Netherlands in the last 2,5 years. In the first five months of this year only, this figure was 9.1 million kilograms of flowers, for a payment amounting to $16.7 million.
“Which municipalities [in Turkey] imported the flowers?” asked Tanrıkulu in a question motion, bringing the issue to the parliamentary agenda. “As per customs regulations, this constitutes secret information,” responded Tüfenkci to Tanrıkulu’s question.
However, Tüfenkci provided detailed information regarding the amount of flowers imported. “14,302,268 kilograms of ornamental plants and flowers worth $34,462,224 in 2015; 14,747,520 kilograms worth $36,685,754 in 2016; and 9,145,342 kilograms worth $16,769,067 were imported from the Netherlands between 01.01.2017-05.31.2017,” said Tüfenkci.
July 14, 2017
