Leading boss warns of potential loss in Turkey’s employment

Elif Ergu - ISTANBUL

HÜRRİYET photo

If Turkey’s economy turns in on itself, employment in the country will decrease, according to former head of the Turkish Industrial and Business Association (TÜSİAD) and Boyner Holding board member Ümit Boyner.

She also noted Turkey needs to invest more in education and increase the share of women in the workforce.
 
“We have seen uncertainties in the markets. If we turn in on ourselves in the economy, we’ll see losses in employment. On the contrary, Turkey needs to grow,” she said. 

Meanwhile, Turkey’s unemployment rate increased to 9.6 percent in June 2015, compared to 9.1 percent a year earlier. 

Boyner noted Turkey needs to put a comprehensive reform program at the top of the agenda to solve social and economic problems. 

“We have many issues to resolve simultaneously. It is of great importance to achieve political and economic institutionalism. This is necessary for Turkey to return to the growth track again. Turkey did this after the 2001 economic crisis. I am hopeful about the future,” she said. 

Boyner addressed several structural problems in the Turkish economy, including high debts in the private sector, low innovation capacity and high dependence on imports for production amid the rise in fluctuations in global markets. 

“We need to renew ourselves… We need to raise sources to be allocated to the education system. Brazil or China have seen some problems due to market fluctuations as we have, but their innovation capacities are much higher than ours,” she said. 

Boyner noted it is a must for Turkey to invest in human development in qualitative manners.

“We also need to develop a completely different perspective on women and women employment… The share of women in total employment is lower than 30 percent. There is no developed country across the world with such low women employment levels. If we want to see Turkey among the developed countries’ league, we need to enable women to be equal with men in each segments of life and decision making processes,” she said.