Rifat Hisarciklioglu, chairman of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), told a Brussels round-table on Tuesday that Türkiye's economic weight, as the EU's sixth-largest trade partner and seventh-largest economy, makes it a credible candidate for full membership.
Hisarciklioglu outlined dramatic shifts in Türkiye's export profile: annual exports have climbed from roughly 3 billion dollars 25 years ago, when agriculture accounted for 90 percent of sales abroad, to about 80 billion dollars today, with industrial goods now making up the same 90 percent share.
He said Türkiye has averaged 7 percent annual growth since 2001 and has already met Maastricht benchmarks on public debt and budget deficits. Foreign direct investment reached 9 billion dollars the previous year and was on pace to hit 16 to 17 billion dollars by end-2006. Tourism revenues have similarly surged, from 300 million dollars a quarter-century ago to 18 billion dollars, with 22 million visitors annually.
Hisarciklioglu also argued that Türkiye holds strategic value for the EU on energy security. As North Sea reserves decline, the EU's energy import dependence is expected to rise from 50 percent to 70 percent, making Türkiye's role as host of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline increasingly significant.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.