29.08.2014 İzmir
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the joint boards meeting of the chambers and exchanges of the İzmir province and its counties hosted by the İzmir Commodity Exchange.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, İzmir Commodity Exchange Board
Chairman Işınsu Kestelli stated that they are in a time where they need to
focus rapidly on economy and put politics behind them.
Expressing his hope that this era will be one for leaping forward as
promised by the new Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Kestelli went on, “Because
Turkey has been a medium-income country since 2006. According to our mid-term
projections, we will surpass the 12,000 USD mark after 2015 and enter the
high-income bracket. However, the steps we take today will determine how long
we stay there or how fast we rise and fall.”
TOBB Board Vice President and EBSO Board Chairman Ender Yorgancılar
touched on the matters of foreign investment distribution into İzmir; the
imbalance of taxation and its returns; the as-yet unfulfilled state of İzmir’s
potential in regards to economy, infrastructure and education.
Maritime Trade Chamber İzmir Branch Board Chairman Yusuf Öztürk and
İzmir Chamber of Commerce Board Chairman Ekrem Demirtaş spoke in regards to freight
deficit, maritime trade, lowering of taxes on employment which contributes to
lowering off-the-record economy, the need to change the structure of
development agencies.
Following the speeches TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu made a
presentation in regards to the state of economy in Turkey and the world at
large.
- Hisarcıklıoğlu’s comments on
the new cabinet
Speaking with members of the press following the meeting, TOBB President
M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu thanked the previous cabinet members and wished the new
cabinet success.
In regards to the appointment of the AK Party Group Deputy President
Nurettin Canikli as Customs and Commerce Minister, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Mr.
Nurettin Canikli is intimately familiar with business. He is knowledgeable in
the inner workings of economy. I hope that we will attain success together.”
Wishing the minister success in their endeavors during their time in
office until the elections in 2015, Hisarcıklıoğlu went on, “Hopefully Turkey
will start reforms to move towards its 2023 goals, may the new Prime Minister
and the President of the Republic be beneficial to this end.”