Erdoğan touts economic progress, vows to counter speculators

Speaking at his ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) group meeting, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday stressed his resolve to develop Turkey, adding that the economy had doubled in size since 2002 and reached a stability unseen for a half-century. �Speculators used to be found just in the stock market, but now they are everywhere," he said. �No one should try to sow a pessimistic climate in Turkey. Whoever works to generate negative speculation on the economy will have to face us."