Minister meets with heads of lenders

ANKARA

Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati met with the executives of lenders operating in Turkey, according to a statement released by the Banks Association of Turkey (TBB) on Dec. 18.

The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) head Mehmet Ali Akben and the Participation Banks Association of Turkey (TKBB) president İkram Göktaş attended the meeting hosted by TBB chair Alpaslan Çakar.

Nebati briefed the bankers on the new economy policies based on increasing production, exports and employment.

“Turkey’s banking sector, which is compatible with international standards with its strong balance, liquidity and equity capital indicators and technology applications, has been operating uninterruptedly in accordance with its mission to create sustainable value for the country’s economy,” said TBB in a statement.

The minister had a meeting with the representatives of the business world in Istanbul on Dec. 11.

“We held a productive meeting today with our representatives from the business world, the real sector and NGOs [nongovernmental organizations],” Nebati wrote on his Twitter account on Dec. 11 after the meeting.

Attendees of the meeting included officials of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), Turkey’s Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association’s (MÜSİAD), Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK), Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO), Istanbul Chamber of Industry (İSO) and the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).

DEİK head Nail Olpak said that businesspeople sought answers to allegations of possible capital restrictions.

“Maybe everything is not alright in our country but production continues uninterruptedly and supply chains have never been broken. Exports are good, the banking system is fine. However, there’s a problematic picture inconsistent with all these in the foreign exchange market,” he said.