World Bank Group head visits Turkey

ISTANBUL

World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim began his first to Turkey on Oct. 29 since becoming president of the global lender in July 2012.

During the visit, which will end on Oct. 31, Kim will attend the fifth İzmir Economic Congress and later the official opening of the Global Center for Islamic Finance, as well as the eighth meeting of the Investment Advisory Council (IAC) for Turkey.

Kim will meet with government leaders, including President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as well as civil society and business representatives, to discuss how the World Bank Group can best support Turkey’s "inclusive growth and shared prosperity," and its growing role in the region. The meetings will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing Turkey, an upper middle-income country, and the necessary reforms in a more global context.

Kim will be accompanied by Gino Alzetta, executive director of the World Bank Group; Laura Tuck, World Bank vice president for Europe and Central Asia; Dimitris Tsitsiragos, International Finance Corporation (IFC) vice president for Eastern and Southern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, and North Africa; and Martin Raiser, World Bank country director for Turkey.