IMF Team Opens Ankara Talks with Türkiye on Budget, Tax, and Banking Reforms

An IMF delegation arrived in Türkiye on 5 May 2006 to conduct the third review of the country's stand-by agreement, holding initial meetings with banking and private-sector representatives in Istanbul.

Mission Chief Lorenzo Giorgianni then traveled to Ankara, where talks with Treasury officials focused on budget projections, tax policy and administration reforms, implementation of the recently enacted social security overhaul, and improvements to banking regulation and supervision.

Giorgianni and the delegation were also scheduled to meet State Minister Ali Babacan, with the session expected to take place either on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.

The team is set to remain in Ankara through 18 May. After concluding the review, the delegation will draft a report for submission to the IMF Executive Board. Officials noted that a possible merger of the third and fourth reviews had not yet been decided.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.