Erdoğan wished the summit success and congratulated Turkuvaz Media for organizing the program with the participation of the most competent figures in their fields of expertise.

Stating that, after two agonizing years, the globe resumed a more promising approach to combating the novel-type coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, Erdoğan noted that gradual normalization steps began to be taken in a number of areas, most notably health, transportation, education, and commerce.

Erdoğan remarked that the global economy started to re-establish its previous rhythm following the contraction last year, production and export activities increased, and tourism also quickly recovered with the revival of human mobility.

“We develop and implement policies within the framework of our goals”

Indicating that they believed the following process would unfold rapidly, based on the position obtained in vaccination and treatment procedures, Erdoğan continued as follows:

“However, as humanity resolves the disease’s health-related challenges, it is confronted with new issues caused by the pandemic. Global inflation, like last year’s economic recession, is the most significant concern confronting humanity today. The shelves remaining empty as a result of supply chain breakdowns is another fact that marked this period. Exorbitant price hikes for basic foods and commodities exacerbate the strain on the segments of society that were hardest hit by the pandemic. This circumstance leads to an increase in racism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia, particularly in Western countries. Faced with these threats, which also affect our economy, our people, and our citizens living abroad, we, as Turkey, are developing and implementing policies within the framework of our own priorities, interests, and goals.”

Erdoğan stated that while many developed countries shut down their economic activities and took dramatic measures last year as a result of the pandemic, they did not resort to such a method, adding that they adhered to pandemic measures on the one hand while maintaining production processes, particularly in strategic sectors on the other.

Underlining that they did not abandon people who produce, employ, export, and invest in their difficult times, Erdoğan said: “With the support and incentives we have provided, we have enabled the establishment of new factories. We have introduced new industrial facilities to many of our towns from Gaziantep to Konya, from Kocaeli to Hatay, from Ankara to Adana. Thus, while our country grew by 1.8 percent in 2020, it maintained its upward trend with growth rates of 7.2 percent and 21.7 percent in the first two quarters of this year. We broke a significant record in exports by exceeding the threshold of 212 billion dollars for the first time in our history. Although international organizations retain their growth forecasts at 9 percent, we think we will achieve double-digit figures of growth by the end of the year.”

“As the state, we provide substantial subsidies”

Erdoğan noted: “While we concentrate on major objectives, we never shut our eyes to the issues that are right under our noses,” and stated the following: “We are aware of the troubles and difficulties experienced by each of our citizens. We are taking the necessary measures for the costs caused by the deteriorated global economic balances due to the pandemic to be reflected at the minimum extent within the country. We have sought to protect our farmers and producers by setting significantly high purchase prices for agricultural products. We have set the bar quite high with the increase in the wages of workers and civil servants in the public sector. As the state, we provide substantial subsidies on cost-sales ratios in electricity and natural gas prices. We support our citizens with no income and very low incomes by operating our social assistance system effectively. In the coming period, we will continue to implement these policies, which are a manifestation of our generous state approach. In keeping with the fact that every crisis creates new opportunities, we will continue to raise Turkey on the basis of production, export, investment, and employment, never taking our eyes off our goals and never giving credit to the doomsayers.”

Emphasizing that he believed the Turkey 2023 Summit, organized by Turkuvaz Media, would assist their struggle, Erdoğan wished the program to be auspicious and congratulated those who contributed. (ILKHA)