BOSTON
Turkey's science, industry and technology minister said on Monday that Turkey's aim was to become a global pharmaceutical R&D and production base.
Nihat Ergun said that Turkey also aimed to become a regional pharmaceutical administrative center.
"Turkey ranked the 12th in the world in pharmaceutical industry in 2010 with its 10.4 billion USD of pharmaceutical market," Ergun said during a global technology forum on the sidelines of BIO International Convention in Boston.
Ergun said almost 300 pharmaceutical companies operating in Turkey employed 25,000 people, and noted that Turkey would also become one of the main health tourism centers in the world.
The government would prepare a pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry strategy and action plan by the end of 2012, Ergun said.
Moreover, Ergun invited investors to learn more about Turkey and its opportunities, and added that Turkey would open two science and technology attache's offices in San Francisco and Boston.
