Erdoğan says ‘consensus’ reached with Central Bank

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said late on March 12 that his talks this week with Central Bank Governor Erdem Başçı had ended “positively and with a consensus,” in comments that appeared designed to ease tensions over monetary policy.

Differences in views are not extraordinary and can happen everywhere and in every position, Erdoğan said, responding to questions on his March 11 meeting with Başçı and the government’s economic point-man, Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan.

“My sensitivity is about not having setbacks in investments. We particularly shared the idea that the Central Bank would have a role with regard to taking measures encouraging investments. We made the required assessment and we smoothed it over,” he told reporters at a joint press conference with Hungarian President János Áder.

“We have reached a consensus and made our statement this week, as you know” Erdoğan also said.
“We will meet more frequently in the future, I hope,” he added.

At the meeting late on March 11, Başçı made a 130-page presentation on “restoring confidence to the economy and limiting public debt,” according to Anadolu Agency.

No press conference was held after the meeting, but the presidential office issued a statement that said the “president’s sensitivity about rates and production were emphasized” and “the current environment of confidence and stability should be meticulously maintained.”

Başçı’s entire presentation was uploaded to the official website of the Central Bank shortly after the meeting.