BARAN: TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP TO CONTRIBUTE TO BILATERAL RELATIONS
ISTANBUL - Members of Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) met on Thursday with members of Danish Industries Confederation (DI).
TUSIAD Executive Board Deputy Chairman Pekin Baran, who made the opening remarks of joint meeting, said TUSIAD felt the responsibility of covering political and economic developments fulfilled by Turkey in its full membership process to the EU.
Baran said meeting of Copenhagen criteria was put as precondition to start accession talks, and that a reform package was issued for this. He said the legal amendments should be put into practice.
Baran said new laws regarding investment encouraged foreign investments, stressing that procedures pertaining to establish companies were simplified. Baran invited Danish entrepreneurs to invest in Turkey.
Baran said, as the TUSIAD, they envisaged five percent growth in case current conditions continued, noting that rate of inflation would drop to single digit figures beginning from 2005.
Pointing out that last year's trade volume between Turkey and Denmark was 800 million U.S. dollars, Baran said Turkey's EU membership would have a positive contribution on development of economy. Baran said they believed that this would contribute to bilateral relations with Denmark.
Meanwhile, DI Chairman Johan Schroeder said EU investments in Turkey was around seven billion Euro between the years 1994 and 2001, stressing that Turkey made half of its exports to EU countries.
(AY) 22.04.2004