ISTANBUL - The announcement of FM Abdullah Gul as the presidential candidate of Justice & Development party stirred various reactions in Turkey.
Following are the comments of important figures from Turkish private sector:
Sabanci Group's Chairman of the board of executives Guler Sabanci said, "I congratulate PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the mature and democratic attitude he has displayed for the stability of Turkey".
Guler also said she wished Gul's candidacy would be good for Turkey.
On the other hand Chairman of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Murat Yalcintas stated that the candidacy of Gul was an appropriate decision and said, "I am pretty sure his name will elicit positive reactions on the markets."
Stressing that announcement of the candidacy of FM Gul was perceived as a positive development both in Turkey and abroad Yalcyntas said, " I hope it will be good for our nation. As the members of the Turkish private sector we believe it's a positive development."
Chief Economist of Yapi Kredi Bank Cevdet Akcay also commented on Gul's presidential candidacy and said the markets would enter a "wait and see" phase.
Akcay pointed out that the initial reaction of the markets could be negative due to issues like head scarf but expressed his belief that Justice and Development party would try to manage the process well and carefully, and would not allow disturbances on the markets.