Erdoğan Pledges 4% Inflation Target, Fiscal Discipline Ahead of 2007 Elections

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye's commitment to bringing inflation down to 4 percent in 2007, speaking at a ceremony in Istanbul marking the 125th anniversary of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO).

Addressing attendees at the Lütfi Kırdar International Congress and Exhibition Hall, Erdoğan praised Istanbul's significance as a major trade center and said the government values input from business organizations such as the ITO.

He stressed that democratic governance and the rule of law represent the country's most important long-term investments, and warned that upcoming general elections would not lead to any relaxation of fiscal discipline.

On Türkiye's path toward European Union membership, Erdoğan signaled defiance toward potential obstacles, saying Türkiye would reframe the Copenhagen criteria on its own terms if the EU chose to block progress.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in January 2007, in its own words.