Turkey’s top business group calls for ‘urgent’ reforms after election

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s top business organization has called for the “urgent” realization of key economic reforms from the new government.

On June 25, the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) said in a statement that the parliament and president elected on June 24 face a “comprehensive” political and reform agenda that deserves “urgent” attention.

TÜSİAD said the agenda includes maintaining the rule of law and freedom, forming a rational economic program and fiscal discipline that will fight against high inflation and current account deficit, ensuring the independence of the Central Bank and a merit-based bureaucratic assignment system, and accelerating the EU accession process, which is of great importance for Turkey to raise its competitiveness.

The association also called for the realization of comprehensive educational reforms that will be prepared through the participation of all social segments with the aim of raising the quality of human resources.

Meanwhile, leading Turkish business world figures on June 25 congratulated President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his election victory, making him Turkey’s first leader under the new executive presidential system.

“The new government system is a big opportunity for further strengthening stability and trust in our country,” Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), said in a statement.

He said in this new era Turkey “can leap forward with confidence and stability.”

Nail Olpak, head of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), said the board will continue to “successfully” represent Turkey’s economic power in the world.

“We will continue to work for a stronger economy, for a more advanced democracy,” Olpak said.