CHINA and Turkey signed 38 contracts worth US$1.05 billion at the end of a forum on economic cooperation and investment in Istanbul yesterday.

The deals cover Chinese imports of minerals, marble and other products from Turkey as well as power plant projects in Turkey.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by visiting Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming and his Turkish host, State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan.

More than 100 Chinese entrepreneurs accompanied Chen to seek purchase and investment opportunities during the minister's four-day visit to Turkey.

Addressing the forum attended by more than 400 people, the ministers pledged to forge close relations by expanding trade and boosting investment.

China and Turkey saw their trade surge from more than US$1 billion in 2000 to US$12.6 billion in 2008.

Chinese firms invested US$313 million in Turkey by the end of September 2009, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.

Actual investment by Turkish companies in China exceeded US$100 million by the end of October, the ministry said.