THY to purchase 50% of Polish airlines LOT

Turkish Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan said that technical efforts were under way for Turkish Airlines (THY) to purchase 50 percent of Polish Airlines LOT. Following Turkish-Polish Business Forum in Warsaw, Caglayan told reporters that THY was the 4th biggest airway company of Europe, adding that THY would have nearly 200 planes by the end of this year. With this performance, THY will be the champion airway company of Europe within few years, he noted. Caglayan said that THY carried 30 million passengers last year, adding that the target for 2012 was 35-37 million passengers. Turkish government attaches great importance in ongoing talks between THY and LOT, said Caglayan, adding that the two companies were working on technical details now. THY will have an initiative to purchase 50 percent of LOT, said Caglayan expressing hope that this process would be completed soon. Turkish Hattat Holding to export tractors to Poland Caglayan said that Turkish Hattat Holding would export 5,000 HEMA tractors to Poland. Caglayan, who attended Turkish-Polish Business Forum in Warsaw, said that Hattat Holding signed a protocol with Poland on tractor export worth of 350 million euro. Caglayan thanked Polish authorities for the visa convenience they provided to Turkish businessmen. He noted that over 130 billion USD of energy investments and 100 billion USD of railway investments would be made in Turkey within the next ten years. Meanwhile, Turkish Gulermak Corp. is a part of the consortium which is building Warsaw Metro worth of one billion euro. The construction of the metro will continue for two more years.