Turkey’s five-month exports hit record high

ANKARA—Anatolia News Agency

TÜSİAD President Ümit Boyner holds up a plaque at the conference.

Turkey’s exports in the first five months of the year hit a record high of $60 billion, the economy minister said. 

“Sixty billion [dollars] in the first five months is a first for the Turkish Republic and exports in the past 12 months have exceeded $140.5 billion,” Zafer Çağlayan said at a meeting in Ankara yesterday.

While the European Union grew 1.5 percent last year the European growth figure would be at least 0.3 points higher if Turkey was member of the EU, Çağlayan said.

“This clearly demonstrates that it is the EU that needs Turkey, not the other way round,” Çağlayan said.
He added that Turkey’s position within the IMF had changed, stressing that the country would have greater representation in the Fund within the next couple of years.

The Turkish business community was very pleased with the country’s focus on exports said Turkish Business and Industry Association President Ümit Boyner, speaking at the Second Trade Undersecretaries Conference yesterday. She said that the majority of Turkey’s macroeconomic problems had been solved and that inflation was beginning to fall to the single digits.