Crisis exaggerated, PM Erdoğan claims
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by Nuray Babacan - Hurriyet
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 25, 2009 00:00
BOLU -Claims that many businesses are shutting down due to the economic crisis is an overstatement, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at a rally held in Bolu ahead of next Sunday’s local elections.
"They are constantly revealing the number of textile factories shut down and suchÉ They are exaggerating," Erdoğan said Monday. "Some incapacitated people may have lost their businesses. However, I reiterate, the crisis will bypass Turkey. We will overcome this crisis with minimum damage."
"They are criticizing the unemployment figures in Turkey. Unemployment in Spain is well above 15 percent. U.S. unemployment has reached 8.1 percent. And these figures are still rising. The European average is above 5 percent. Ours stands at 13 percent, he said.
"Why are you so bothered? We will work hard and reduce that figure," he added. According to official data, the number of unemployed in Turkey has reached 3.3 million. "They are bothered by my ’will bypass’ statement. I reiterate: Yes, it will bypass [Turkey]," he said. "During the previous government, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of tradesmen closed up shop. Some 400,000 stores were shuttered."
Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government has taken a total of 48 measures aimed at curbing the impacts of the global financial crisis, the prime minister said. The latest was a $3.2 billion package of economic measures, Turkey’s fourth, that came into effect last week, reducing tax rates in the automotive, white goods and housing sectors for three months. "There has been some serious activity in the market since then."
Farmers have also been provided with an extension to pay back their debts to Ziraat Bank, he said.
"We have taken all precautions so the crisis will not weigh down on the shoulders of tradesmen and farmers, and we will continue to do so," Erdoğan said. "
"They are criticizing the unemployment figures in Turkey. Unemployment in Spain is well above 15 percent. U.S. unemployment has reached 8.1 percent. And these figures are still rising. The European average is above 5 percent. Ours stands at 13 percent, he said.
"Why are you so bothered? We will work hard and reduce that figure," he added. According to official data, the number of unemployed in Turkey has reached 3.3 million. "They are bothered by my ’will bypass’ statement. I reiterate: Yes, it will bypass [Turkey]," he said. "During the previous government, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of tradesmen closed up shop. Some 400,000 stores were shuttered."
Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government has taken a total of 48 measures aimed at curbing the impacts of the global financial crisis, the prime minister said. The latest was a $3.2 billion package of economic measures, Turkey’s fourth, that came into effect last week, reducing tax rates in the automotive, white goods and housing sectors for three months. "There has been some serious activity in the market since then."
Farmers have also been provided with an extension to pay back their debts to Ziraat Bank, he said.
"We have taken all precautions so the crisis will not weigh down on the shoulders of tradesmen and farmers, and we will continue to do so," Erdoğan said. "