Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared at a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliamentary group meeting in June 2006 that Türkiye's pursuit of European Union membership remains an unwavering government priority, not a passing objective.
Erdoğan reported that Türkiye had advanced significantly in the EU accession screening process, with detailed reviews completed on 18 chapters and preliminary reviews finished on 22. He expressed hope that substantive negotiations would open on 12 June.
The prime minister also announced that the government's Ninth Development Plan, covering 2007 to 2013, was nearly complete and would soon go to parliament for approval. He described it as a core strategic document guiding Türkiye's economic, social, and cultural transformation.
Among the plan's targets: annual economic growth of 6.5 percent, creation of roughly 620,000 jobs, per capita income rising to 10,100 dollars, inflation held at 3 percent, and exports reaching 214 billion dollars by 2013. Tourism revenues are projected at 36 billion dollars, 450,000 hectares of additional land would be brought under irrigation, and 740 kilometers of new rail lines would be built.
Erdoğan acknowledged recent volatility in global markets but said Türkiye had the strength to weather such fluctuations, citing the country's growing competitiveness and open-market economy.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.