President Erdoğan instructs Turkish ministers to not receive advice from US firm McKinsey

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Turkey will not receive advice from global consultancy firm McKinsey and Company.

"I've told all my minister friends. 'You will not receive consultancy service from them,' I said. There is no need for it. We are enough for ourselves," Erdoğan said at the ruling Justice and Development Party's consultation meeting in Kızılcahamam district of Ankara on Oct. 6 

Both main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the İYİ (Good) Party had slammed the government after the Treasury and Finance Ministry announced it will receive consultancy services from McKinsey for 16 ministries to check their “targets and results in every quarter [of the financial year]."

“Now the government says that a company should provide consultancy to Turkey every three months, because it does not have confidence in the Turkish state. They made an agreement with McKinsey,” CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said in his weekly address to party lawmakers on Oct. 2.

İYİ leader Meral Akşener echoed a similar criticism during her weekly address, claiming that Turkey's new economic program revealed by Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak was “the program of the IMF.”

On. Oct. 6, Erdoğan said that Turkey underwent major reforms and radical changes in a short period to tackle difficulties.

"To overcome [economic] hardship we have implemented and undergone major reforms and radical changes swiftly, that in normal circumstances would have taken years," he said.

Call for Turkish citizens amid steep price hikes

Turkish President urged Turks to report stores that had imposed unusual price hikes during the currency crisis, and said authorities would raid those businesses if necessary.

"We will not abandon our people to the mercy of opportunists," he vowed.

An increase in exchange rate is not only due to economic reasons and Turkey did not try to escape responsibility but was only assessing the current situation, Erdoğan added.

“Of course, Turkey is open to all kinds of investments, support and contribution as long as the price to pay for this is not eyeing on our country’s sovereignty and future,” he said.

Erdoğan stated that Turkey asked for investments during official visits to foreign countries, but never asked for money.

“We will achieve our country's goals with our own solutions, our own programs,” he said.

The Turkish president added that as long as he is alive, no international organization will be able to “put Turkey under the yoke“.

Erdoğan also said that Turkey will eliminate all terrorists and give them a befitting response for their attacks.

“Do we have eight martyrs? Those terrorists should know that they will pay the price for that with at least 800 [terrorists]," he said, referring to a deadly attack by the illegal PKK in the southeastern province of Batman on Oct. 4.

Turkish opposition parties criticize government over economic program