Rifat Hisarciklioglu, chairman of the Union of Turkish Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), called on citizens to stand united behind a strong economy, arguing that economic strength is essential to safeguarding the country's interests. He made the remarks to the Anadolu Agency on a Saturday in April 2006 while speaking from Adana.
Hisarciklioglu described Türkiye as a model for private-sector development, crediting middle-class entrepreneurs with compensating for the country's lack of oil and natural gas reserves. He said this segment of society serves as both a guarantor of economic stability and a primary engine of growth.
He noted that Türkiye's exports had surpassed 70 billion USD, with roughly 65 percent directed to EU member states and the United States. The country ranked as the 17th largest economy in the world at the time, he added.
Hisarciklioglu acknowledged challenges, including difficulties that Turkish companies face in global competition and a rising current account deficit. He attributed part of the deficit to industry's growing reliance on imported intermediate goods, and said a clear industrial policy could help address that imbalance over the medium term.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in April 2006, in its own words.