"We support everyone who works for Turkey, exports and supports the construction of the Turkish century"
"We support everyone who works for Turkey, exports and supports the construction of the Turkish century"
In his speech at the DEIK General Assembly and the "Respect for Craftsmen" award ceremony, President Erdogan said: "We support all those who work for Turkey, export, increase their investments, relying on the Turkish economy, and support the construction of the Turkish century. Our political views and worldview may be different. Our views on life, our approach to events and problems may differ. All this testifies to the greatness of Turkey and the richness of its human and cultural values."
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the DEIK General Assembly and the "Respect for Masters" award ceremony held at the Lutfi Kardar International Convention and Exhibition Center and delivered a speech.
President Erdogan stated that he was glad to attend the program and wished that the decisions taken at the General Assembly would be useful for the country, the nation, business people and DEIK members.
"DEIK TAKES ON A SPECIAL TASK IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ITS FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS"
Congratulating those elected to the DEIK Board of Directors, President Erdogan said: "Since its foundation in 1985, DEIK has taken on the special task of managing the foreign economic relations of the Turkish private sector, especially in the field of foreign trade, international investment, services and logistics. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the representatives of our business world who have participated in the management, business councils and events of the DEIC since its foundation. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the DEIC members who contribute to the development of Turkey, the growth of its economy, the increase in its exports and the ability of our people to bring bread to their homes, creating jobs."
President Erdogan paid tribute to the memory of the DEIK members who passed into eternity with mercy, and conveyed his congratulations and gratitude to the craftsmen who were recognized as worthy of awards, realizing that "ingenuity deserves compliments."
Noting that DEIK is not only an umbrella organization for trade diplomacy, but also a platform with the highest representative capabilities that unites the leading participants in the country's business world on the same ground, President Erdogan said that DEIK is a window for the private sector to the world with its 152 business councils and 5,000 members.
President Erdogan noted that they see the inclusiveness and comprehensiveness of the DEIC as a significant opportunity and advantage for the country. He noted that during official visits and international meetings, wherever they go, they necessarily encounter events, business forums or other programs organized by DEIC, which is the standard-bearer of commercial diplomacy.
President Erdogan stressed that he is proud of the DEIC community, in which they meet in almost every corner of the world, from South Africa to Malaysia, from the Turkic republics to the United States, strengthening trade bridges between Turkey and the rest of the world with bridges of the heart. He also noted that the organization of 2,000 events annually is a significant success, some of which he personally attended.
Stating that they met with DEIC members on various occasions, held consultations and sought solutions to problems with a common opinion, President Erdogan said: "We strive to be in close dialogue with you on all issues related to the Turkish economy and foreign trade. We are also keeping our channels of communication with the business world open while implementing our decision to suspend commercial operations in order to force Israel, which has killed 36,000 innocent people in Gaza, to cease fire. We will continue to put pressure on Israel in the field of trade and diplomacy until the Netanyahu administration stops the massacres in Gaza.
" "WE ACCEPT ALL OUR DIFFERENCES"
Stressing that they will continue to discuss and discuss problems and find solutions to problems with DEIK, President Erdogan continued: "We support all those who work for Turkey, export, increase their investments, relying on the Turkish economy, and support the construction of the Turkish Century. Our political views, our world of thought may be different, our outlook on life, our approach to events and problems may be different. All this testifies to the greatness of Turkey and the richness of its human and cultural values. We accept all our differences and respect everyone's opinions, thoughts and constructive criticism. Everyone whose heart beats for Turkey, who dreams of Turkey, who is inspired by the dream of a great and strong Turkey, who sweats for a prosperous and happy future of Turkey, has a place above our heads."
President Erdogan said it was a great honor for him to go along with every person who worked hard and laid stone after stone to bring the concept of the Century of Turkey to life.
President Erdogan said, "We are pleased and lucky to have company with you, my brothers, who rightly fulfill the mission of "Our job is to bring our strength to the world." Today I would like to emphasize once again that we will be with you as long as you work, produce, invest, export and want to contribute to the Turkish economy."
Stating that the doors of every friend who works with them, including all cabinet ministers, are open to DEIK members and entrepreneurs, President Erdogan stated that he does not accept any excuses when it comes to the business world, and that he will never refrain from doing what is necessary if he sees anywhere in it in relation to a flaw, negligence, or mistake.
"I pray that our love, solidarity and camaraderie will always be preserved," President Erdogan said, noting that the global economy has been in very rough waters for the past 4-5 years.
Noting that the economic problems caused by the Covid pandemic have been further complicated by conflicts in the region, President Erdogan continued: "We are facing many challenges, from freight prices to trade restrictions, from fluctuations in energy and food prices to other uncertainties. In addition to all these challenges, Turkey has experienced a major earthquake. As a result of the earthquakes on February 6, more than 53 thousand people died. The damage from the earthquake, which affected a total of 11 provinces and 14 million people, amounts to $104 billion for our economy. Not only houses were destroyed, but also our production facilities were damaged, commercial establishments were destroyed, enterprises were closed, and the infrastructure of our cities was seriously damaged. Of the 850 thousand independent sections that fell into disrepair in the earthquake zone, 170 thousand are jobs. No economy, no matter how developed, including Europe and America, can easily overcome such a predicament."
"OUR EXPORTS EXCEEDED 255 BILLION DOLLARS AND BROKE A RECORD IN THE HISTORY OF THE REPUBLIC"
President Erdogan said that in addition to the earthquake, they have held three elections in a row over the past year, and that everyone knows perfectly well that the election agenda has slowed down work in the bureaucracy, postponed investment plans in the business world, increased caution in commercial life and made the country's economy stagnant as a whole.
Noting that despite all these negative aspects, they did not break away from their goals in any area, from exports to growth, from employment to investment, President Erdogan said that he would like to share some figures.
Stressing that thanks to the efforts of DEIK members, exports exceeded 255 billion dollars and broke a record in the history of the republic, President Erdogan said: "As of April, annual exports reached $257.6 billion. In January-April 2024, exports increased by 2.7 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and reached 82.9 billion dollars. We have increased our share of total global exports from 0.55 percent in 2002 to 1.08 percent in 2023. The annual current account deficit, which reached $57 billion in May last year, fell to $31.2 billion in March. The current account balance, excluding gold and energy, showed an annual surplus of $36.1 billion. I believe that the improvement in the current account deficit will continue."
Stating that the results are also promising in terms of growth, President Erdogan said: "With a growth rate of 4.5 percent, we are ranked first in Europe, second in the OECD countries and fourth in the G-20. Our national income has exceeded $1.1 trillion for the first time in history. The unemployment rate for March 2024 dropped to 8.6 percent."
President Erdogan said that Turkey ended last year with good results on many topics, from tourism to computer science, from wellness tourism to logistics and contracting services, and that Turkey, like the rest of the world, has achieved successes exceeding targets, with the exception of inflation, which is the main source of problems.
"OUR GROSS RESERVES HAVE INCREASED TO $140 BILLION"
The roadmap in the economy is based on the Medium-Term Program (MTP) and the 12th Annual Agenda. Stressing that this is a development plan, President Erdogan said: "Despite the crises in our region, local government elections and the populist rhetoric of the opposition, we remain faithful to our roadmap. Until March 31, when our citizens were showered with promises, we did not rely on the electoral economy. We did not risk the future of our country and our people for our own political gain, like others."
Stating that those who, until yesterday, handed out promises from their wallets at the polling places, are now borrowing debt after debt and raising prices, President Erdogan said: "I don't even count the appointments that they turned into a lottery of relatives. In the coming years, we will understand much better how our government made a historic decision at a very critical moment."
Noting that they have begun to reap the positive benefits of the economic program, President Erdogan said: "Our gross reserves, which in May last year amounted to 97.1 billion dollars, increased by 42 billion dollars to 140 billion dollars. The growth of net international reserves excluding swaps over the past 1.5 months amounted to $50.7 billion. If you remember, some people, including economists, journalists, politicians and professors, made a stir before March 31. As before every election, they once again instilled fear in the nation because of the exchange rate. They wrote a lot of mind-blowing scenarios like "On the morning of April 1, the course will fly like this, take off like this." They even immorally provoked people to buy dollars and euros. What happened? None of the pessimistic scenarios they drew came true. The Turkish economy continued to move in the right direction."