ANKARA - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed nation on Thursday.
''The Progress Report of European Commission is a recommendatory decision which clearly expresses that no obstacles have remained before Turkey to start EU entry talks,'' said Erdogan.
He added, ''this recommendatory decision will be taken into consideration and probably a reasonable date will be set for Turkey on December 17th.''
Regarding Turkish economy, Erdogan said, ''2005 Financial Year Budget Law was presented to Turkish Parliament recently. The budget shows the Gross National Product as 481 quadrillion Turkish liras and it envisaged a 5 percent growth target for this year as it was in 2003.''
''Inflation target for 2005 is envisaged as 8 percent,'' added Erdogan.
Noting, ''Turkey is on the threshold of a brand new period,'' Erdogan said, ''when EU negotiation process will start, economy will reach to new opportunities and resources. Especially there will be a serious refreshment in flow of direct foreign capital in Turkey.''
''As of the end of 2004, flow of direct foreign capital in Turkey has reached to 2.5 billion U.S. dollars. We hope this figure will increase rapidly,'' he said.
Erdogan said, ''Turkish investors have made investment worth of more than 20 billion U.S. dollars as of the end of July. This figure is a clear evidence of self confidence of Turkish economy.''
(GC-AÖ) 28.10.2004