ISTANBUL - Finance Minister Kemal Unakitan said on Monday that they wanted to attract funds withdrawn from development markets of the Gulf countries after the September 11th terrorist attacks to Turkey.
Unakitan held a press conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport before he left the country for his tour to Bahrain, Kuwait and Dubai.
Finance Minister Unakitan said that the main aim of his visit was to promote the privatization program.
Stating that he would give information about the institutions within the scope of privatization, Unakitan said that he would promote works carried out in foreign capital regulation and rehabilitation of investment environment.
Unakitan said, ''our aim is to invite the investors there to Turkey. We aim to attract the capital there to Turkey. We want to make Turkey a center of attraction in regard with both finance and tourism and other investments. One of these steps is to attract the investors in the Gulf countries.''
''We have earlier stated that our aim is to make active marketing. That is, to promote Turkey actively. We will go and start contacts with the clients instead of waiting for them,'' Unakitan added.
Unakitan stated that their expectations from tourism were more and that they thought of inviting tourism investors of Gulf countries to Turkey.
Also, health tourism was important for them, Unakitan said.
Asked about the statement of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Unakitan said, ''we are carrying out the program right now. We are committed to all conditions of the program for the interest of Turkey not because the IMF wants it. Financial discipline is very important and commitment to the program is also very important. We will see the development altogether in 2004. Our intention is to bring Turkey to better days.''
(BRC-AÖ) 16.06.2003