ANKARA - United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Turkey Jakob Simonsen has said that Turkey would take place among the leading countries in the world if its young and dynamic population was educated well.
Speaking to the A.A correspondent on Monday, Simonsen said that under the UN's ''Development Targets of New Millennium'', education was important for growth of developing countries like Turkey, adding that investing in education meant investing in the future.
Stressing that education was one of the issues that Turkey should focus on, Simonsen said that more investments should be made in education and also girls should receive education.
Noting that individuals constituted the most important factor of economic, social and cultural development, Simonsen said that Turkey had a significant potential if its population structure was supported by education.
Stating that he thought Turkey would get a positive signal from the European Union (EU) for entry negotiations, Simonsen said that more foreign capital would flow to Turkey together with the reforms to be made during negotiations process because such a process had happened in other countries that won negotiation date.
Stressing that Turkey's macro economic situation was on quite good track, inflation rate had decreased and growth rate had increased, Simonsen said that Turkey had made a quite comprehensive structural reform especially about adjustment into the EU, adding that he believed even continuation of those reforms would bring Turkey to a contemporary level in global economy whether it joined the EU or not.
Noting that Turkey had always followed a constructive attitude towards peace in the Middle East and displayed a mediatory diplomacy, Simonsen added tat he believed Turkey which had an important influence over the region continue undertaking active role.
(MS-AÖ) 24.05.2004