TUSIAD pledges to back constitutional changes on party closures when major parties reach consensus

Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) head Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag said yesterday that they would lend support to constitutional changes meant to make party closures harder, but only if Parliament's three largest parties reach consensus on the changes. Speaking to reporters after meeting with Semsi Bayraktar, co-chair of the Turkey-European Union Joint Consultation Committee and head of the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB), Yalcindag said that weeks ago TUSIAD had expressed its concern over recent tension in the country. Stressing that acting responsibly, members of the union had held meetings with non-governmental groups and labor and employers' unions to promote public solidarity, Yalcindag vowed to back the constitutional changes if agreement is reached by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). For his part, Bayraktar said Turkey should concentrate on reforms, the economy and its EU membership process, adding that they were ready to do whatever they could to support that end. Turkey is set to fulfill all the targets of its current International Monetary Fund program in the coming weeks, said IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn yesterday ahead of spring meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington. "The IMF trusts Turkey will successfully complete the present standby arrangement," he added. Asked whether the economy will be hurt by the closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), he said, "We are watching the situation closely."