Erdogan's host, President Borut Pahor, told the business representatives Slovenia had exited the recession, adding that "our Turkish friends are visiting a country that will make an economic and social recovery in a reasonably short time."

Pahor expects that Slovenia will become an attractive partner for new investments as the government is looking to improve the business environment, noting that the ongoing privatisation process was an opportunity for Turkish companies.

Erdogan added that he and Pahor had signed an agreement on strategic partnership in 2012 as prime ministers of their respective countries. "This has provided an impetus for our relations," he said, expressing the hope that the countries would continue to deepen economic relations.

Economic Development and Technology Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said that a new programme for internationalisation of economic cooperation was being prepared, which put Turkey among the three priority markets along with the US and Japan.

"Centres of power are moving from the West to the East and Turkey is certainly one of the most important centres," he said, inviting Turkish investors to "get acquainted with the offering", referring to the privatisation process in Slovenia.

Head of the Slovenian-Turkish business council Željko Puljić said that there were opportunities for cooperation also in ICT, in exploitation of wood and forests, and in agricultural machinery.

Basar Arioglu, Slovenia's honorary consul in Turkey, added that there were opportunities for cooperation in third markets, proposing that Slovenian companies help Turkish companies enter the markets of the former Soviet Union, Russia and the Balkans.

On the other hand, Turkey can help Slovenian companies expand their presence in the Middle East and North Africa, he added.

Turkey is an important business partner of Slovenia's, and both exports and imports have been on the rise in the last ten years. Trade in goods reached a record EUR 511.4m in 2014, up 6.6% on the year before.

Exports to Turkey were down by 5.2% to EUR 202.9m last year, while imports from Turkey increased by 16.1% to EUR 308.5m.

The business forum featuring around 170 business representatives from Slovenia and Turkey was organised by the Spirit tourism and investment promotion agency and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS).