President Erdoğan unveils 100-day action plans, focuses on economy
ANKARA
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has unveiled an ambitious 100-day action plan that focuses on putting Turkey’s fragile economy back on track, while announcing major infrastructure and transportation projects will continue under the new presidential governance system.
Erdoğan announced his 400-article action plan including energy, foreign trade, education, health, agriculture and tourism in a massive meeting with the participation of all ministers, senior government officials and bureaucrats as well as senior Justice and Development Party (AKP) figures and party fellows at the presidential complex.
“These 400 projects with a 46 billion Turkish Lira cost will create a boosting impact of the new governance system,” Erdoğan said, underlining that these projects will not bring an additional burden to the budget.
“Budgetary discipline is very important for us,” Erdoğan said, announcing that the Medium Term Economic Program will be declared by mid-August.
“Turkey is facing an economic war. But don’t be concerned, we will win this war as we did in the past,” he said.
Erdoğan called on Turkish citizens to convert their savings in different currencies and their golds into liras. “Show your national resistance,” Erdoğan stated.
48 of 400 projects for defense industry
Erdoğan said 48 of the 400 projects within the first 100 days are regarding the defense industry as his government aims to zero its dependence on foreign supplies.
“When we took power, our Undersecretariat for Defense Industries was only able to meet 25 percent of our defense needs. Now this figure increased to 65 percent. At a time when our country is facing threats and pressure, the field of defense industry will always remain very important for us. Therefore, no matter what the conditions are, the defense industry will be a field in which we will never make concessions from realizing our projects,” Erdoğan said.
Canal Istanbul to be realized
One project to be prioritized will be Canal Istanbul, a seaway that will link the Marmara Sea to the Black Sea, Erdoğan said. “The environment plans will be prepared and approved within 100 days,” he said, “Abandoning this project is out of question. It’s irreversible. Why should we not have a canal like the Panama Canal and Suez Canal?”
Two cities will be built on both sides of the canal, the president stressed, informing that around 22 million square meter will be allocated to the mass housing directorate.
Five ‘people’s gardens’ to be built
One promise Erdoğan made during his election campaign was to set up what he calls “people’s gardens” in certain provinces of Turkey, particularly in Istanbul. “Five ‘people’s gardens’ will be built within 100 days,” the president said.
Basra, Mosul consulates to be opened
On foreign policy, one of the priorities will be re-opening Turkey’s consulates in Mosul and Basra, Erdoğan said, also underlining that the number of Syrian people returning to their countries will increase in this period.
“We are expecting the continuation of our Manbij deal with the U.S. despite ongoing problems. We hope that a significant number of Syrians will return to Manbij after the city will be cleared from terrorists,” he stated.
Hydrocarbon activities in Mediterranean
Turkey will start conducting deep water and shallow sea drillings in the Mediterranean Sea, Erdoğan said, adding that a second ship to explore hydrocarbon reserves in the seas surrounding the country will be initiated. “We will triple our efforts to get maximum benefit from the hydrocarbon reserves in the sea,” he stated.