Erdoğan urges Turkish investors to ‘play productive role’

ISTANBUL -Anadolu Agency

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President Erdoğan has called for Turkish businesspeople to give a boost to domestic investment and job-creation, adding that the state of emergency constituted no obstacle before businesses

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says the day is to invest more for businessspeople during his speech at an Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) meeting in Istanbul on June 3.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on June 3 urged businesspeople to boost domestic investment.      

“I want to call on all businessmen, especially MÜSİAD members: If we value our country, if we love our country, if we want to pay our debt to these lands, it is time to act now,” Erdoğan said, speaking at an Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) meeting in Istanbul, as Anadolu Agency has reported. 

“We will work harder. The day is to make more investment. At such a time, if you evaluate your investment opportunities, the future will be much more productive,” he added.      

Regarding the ongoing state of emergency in the country, Erdoğan claimed that it did not stop investment.      

State of emergency  to remain for a while

“Everyone should know that the state of emergency exists to fight against terrorism. It is not an issue for non-terrorists,” he said.  
   
Turkey declared a state of emergency after the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016. It has been extended since then, with Erdoğan saying it would not be lifted until the country has “achieved peace.”      
The state of emergency is no hurdle for business, Erdoğan repeated earlier amid concerns from top business figures.

“The idea that the state of emergency is preventing the current activities of our businessmen is a non-starter,” Erdoğan said at the High Advisory Council (YİK) meeting of the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) in Istanbul on May 18.
 
“The state of emergency right now is a step taken to make all works in Turkey be conducted in a much healthier way,” he added.

New action plan

Separately, during the MÜSİAD meeting, Erdoğan also said the country was preparing for a new period of progress in economic terms in the aftermath of a tough period.

“I have wanted all ministers to prepare a 180-day action plan by the end of the year to be able to implement them by the 2019 elections,” he said, adding that the ruling party was also working on 2023 and 2035 economic targets for Turkey.

“We have already started to take some positive signals that show our economy is good,” said Erdoğan, adding that the country’s production and export volumes were on rise.