ANKARA - State Minister Ali Babacan said that they did not discuss situation after 2004 with International Monetary Fund (IMF) and stated, ''we don't want to get any debt from IMF. We don't want to make a new stand-by agreement with IMF, either.''
Speaking at a news program on private television channel Kanal 7, Babacan replied to questions regarding economy late on Tuesday.
When asked whether a new stand-by agreement would be signed with IMF after 2004, Babacan said that they wanted to save Turkey from being a country which had to get debt from IMF.
Stating that it was early to discuss whether there would be a new stand-by agreement in 2004, he said that they did not have any intention on a new stand-by agreement, but they did not know what political arena would bring. Babacan added that they would assess the issue when the time came.
Noting that IMF also wanted Turkey to stand on its own feet, Babacan said, ''IMF does not want to deal with us by visiting the country every two months. If there is not a new stand-by agreement, IMF and Turkey will be glad about it.''
Upon a question on economic crisis, Babacan said that those who thought that there could be economic crisis could get foreign money.
Babacan said that studies on making increase in wages of civil servants were continuing and stated that they aimed to develop Turkey as a whole.
Upon a question regarding Malaysia, Babacan said that Turkey and Malaysia had different circumstances and economic parameters and noted, ''we earlier made a research about the country. But, it was important to get direct information from this country.''
(EÖ-AÖ) 18.06.2003