Turkey will pass crisis easily, Erdoğan says
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 23, 2009 00:00
KOCAELİ - Attending a ceremony in the northwestern province of Kocaeli to celebrate the first exports of Ford Otosan’s Transit Connect vans to the United States, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey will overcome the effects of the global crisis by the end of the year.
The ceremony was held Friday and attended by Erdoğan, Industry Minister Nihat Ergün, Foreign Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan, Koç Holding Honorary Chairman Rahmi Koç, Koç Holding president Mustafa Koç and John Fleming, chief of Ford Europe.
"Turkey is for the first time exporting commercial vehicles to the U.S.," Erdoğan said, thanking Koç Holding. "This crisis will end sooner or later. Our commercial vehicle market is standing tall amid the global crisis."
"Despite the negative global climate, Turkey has $65.3 billion in currency reserves," Erdoğan noted, adding that inflation has declined to 6 percent from 30 percent since 2002.
"Investments are increasing," he said. "In 2007, Turkey attracted $22 billion in foreign investments. In 2008, our hardest year, the figure was at $18.5 billion. Turkey now ranks as the 17th biggest economy of the world. I believe that we will climb to the top 10. Believing and working hard is enough."
Ford Otosan will export 35,000 units of Transit Connect vans to the United States. Erdoğan, carrying a Turkish flag, drove the first of the vans to a ship bound for the U.S. from the port.
"Turkey is for the first time exporting commercial vehicles to the U.S.," Erdoğan said, thanking Koç Holding. "This crisis will end sooner or later. Our commercial vehicle market is standing tall amid the global crisis."
"Despite the negative global climate, Turkey has $65.3 billion in currency reserves," Erdoğan noted, adding that inflation has declined to 6 percent from 30 percent since 2002.
"Investments are increasing," he said. "In 2007, Turkey attracted $22 billion in foreign investments. In 2008, our hardest year, the figure was at $18.5 billion. Turkey now ranks as the 17th biggest economy of the world. I believe that we will climb to the top 10. Believing and working hard is enough."
Ford Otosan will export 35,000 units of Transit Connect vans to the United States. Erdoğan, carrying a Turkish flag, drove the first of the vans to a ship bound for the U.S. from the port.