We Are Working To Make Turkey's Gdp Reach 1 Trillion Usd, Erdogan

ANKARA - Turkey`s Prime Minister said Saturday the world`s attention was on Turkey.
Speaking at the 63rd General Assembly of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) in Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that wherever he or his cabinet members went in the world, journalists, politicians and academicians showed interest in Turkey`s recent development and affirmed Turkey`s influence on world matters.
"We are now working to make Turkey`s gross domestic product (GDP) reach one trillion USD," Erdogan said.
The income per capita in Turkey would reach 10,000 USD in 2008 and the government was making efforts to increase this amount to 15,000 USD, Erdogan said.
Touching on politics pursued by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party, Erdogan said that the government never embraced populist attitudes.
"No one should expect populist policies from the AK Party in local elections to take place in 2009", Erdogan said.
Erdogan said that the government would make a rise in the price of natural gas as of June 1st.
"We postponed such a hike for a very long time. But now we have to make a hike in the price of energy", Erdogan also said.
(SOL-BRC)
(POL)