YASED’s Traditional Reception was held in Ankara, Hosting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the Guest of Honor
Prime Minister Erdoğan: “Investors take their investment decisions in utmost caution, seeking for stability, seeking for reliability”
YASED’s Chairman of the Board, Mrs. Piraye Antika: “In the current conditions, maintaining the existing capital -domestic or global- and encouraging investments gained priority. In order to achieve these, it is required to solve the problems concerning direct investments and to increase the predictability of the investment environment.”
The traditional annual Ankara Reception of the International Investors Association (YASED) was held on the evening of Wednesday November 11 this year at Ankara Hilton Hotel. The event was highly attended by the members of the government, members of the parliament, bureaucrats, ambassadors, representatives of international organizations, international investors and the members of the business world. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the Reception as the Guest of Honor and addressed the international investors.
Mr. Erdoğan pointed out that Turkey has entered a totally different track in the field of international investments after the Law passed in 2003 regarding the international direct investments and stated that Turkey succeeds to attract FDI at an increasing level each year. Mr. Erdoğan reminded that he has visited the YASED office in Beşiktaş shortly before AK Party came to power and shared “How big their dreams were” and stated that ''When we reviewed our status and discussed that we would take steps to the future in a different manner, they had said 'why not?'. What they commented as “why not?” has been realized today and I believe it will get even better''.
Mr. Erdoğan stated that he believes the global economic crisis is only temporary and the countries that make good use of the crisis environment would turn the crisis into opportunity and that Turkey will be one of those countries where the crisis would be turned into opportunities. Mr. Erdoğan specified that after 2003, the international direct investments in Turkey increased by 12 folds and the incorporated international companies increased by 7 folds, compared to the previous decade.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized that the ''national unity and fraternity process'' will open up a new era in Turkey in terms of its investment dimensions as well and stated that ''Economy goes neck and neck with democracy. If democracy is practiced successfully in a country, that country can attain positive results in economy as well''. Mr. Erdoğan underlined that there would be no investments in an environment ruled by uncertainties and deadlocks and restated that countries that successfully practice democracy would also attain positive results in economy.
Mr. Erdoğan emphasizing the fact that substantial declines are recorded in global economies in terms of indicators such as growth, export and import and sharp declines are encountered in direct investments, which bring along ''fear and anxiety economy'', also stated that those acting bravely would be able to turn this period into opportunities. Prime Minister Erdoğan stated that as of August, Turkey has attracted 6 billion US dollars worth of international investment this year and once the impacts of the economic crisis is over and positive growth takes place, Turkey will start attracting global investments in a more robust manner. Mr. Erdoğan said that all the players of the economy, primarily the members of YASED, are well aware of the sensitivities of an investor and therefore, reforms of revolutionary nature have been made to improve the investment environment.
Piraye Antika: “In the current conditions, maintaining the existing capital, -domestic or global- and encouring investments gained priority.”
The host of the Reception Mrs. Piraye Antika, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of YASED, has stated in her opening speech that the global financial crisis and economic contraction has narrowed down the financial resources flowing to developing economies and said that the conditions have become more competitive in positioning Turkey as a center of attraction among those countries and in being able to sustain this position. Mrs. Antika underlined that Turkey is in the need of particular value adding approaches and measures that would increase the competitive power, more than ever and stated that in matters that compels competition in attracting investments to Turkey from the international arena, the measures to be taken in engaging into dialogue and cooperation between the establishments would bring Turkey to much better positions. Mrs. Antika said that at this point, conducting complete and absolute private sector – public cooperation gains importance and continued by stating that:
“Our common goal is to be able to turn our country into a training, production and service base acceptable at the international standards. As the International Investors Association, we are ready, as we have always been, to undertake any assignment in the efforts oriented toward improving the investment environment in our country and to attract further investments.”
Mrs. Antika listed in her speech the duties that fall upon the international investors as to be a model for and to support new international direct investments to Turkey, to bring into Turkey new investments of the investors we represent, to expand our existing businesses with further investments in order to create higher added value and employment for our country. Mrs. Antika, drawing attention to the fact that in the current conditions, maintaining the existing capital - domestic or global - and encouraging investments gained priority, also stated that in order to achieve these, it is required to solve the problems concerning direct investments and to increase the predictability of the investment environment.
During the Reception, YASED member international investors had the chance to communicate with the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of State in charge of Economy and Vice Prime Minister Ali Babacan, Minister for EU Affairs Egemen Bağış and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yıldız.