KAYSERI - Turkish Industry & Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan said on Saturday that Turkey fulfilled structural changes since 2002, and increased its export figures.
Speaking in a meeting in central Anatolian province of Kayseri, Caglayan said that Turkey`s export figure was 36 billion USD five years ago, adding that Turkey exported products worth of 43.5 billion USD only in the 3.5 months of 2008.
Caglayan said that gross national product, which was 230 billion USD five years ago, climbed to 659 billion USD today. He added that Turkish economy grew 7 percent in average in the last 24 quarters consecutively.
He said that Turkey had become the 17th biggest economy of the world, and 6th of Europe.
Also referring to maritime industry sector, Caglayan said that Turkey was the 8th biggest ship construction industry of the world.
(GC)