Caglayan proud of governement's strategies

Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan said yesterday that Turkey has set an example to Europe through its growth rate and economic development and wrote a history of success in the face of global crisis. Speaking at a workshop entitled Smart Transportation and Automotive Systems which was organized by Okan University in Istanbul, Caglayan said that in the past, universities have not intended to open their doors to industry, and industrialists have tried to prevent universities from "taking their money." Caglayan then expressed his gladness over the fact that in the course of time, people have luckily understood that this was not right. Stating that they have set export targets totaling $500 billion for 2023 and this could be easily achieved, Caglayan said that Turkey has been exporting to each and every country in the world, except the Kiribati Republic, and efforts would be exerted to carry out export to that country as well. Caglayan also attended a meeting of the Istanbul Young Entrepreneurs Association (ISGID) yesterday. Speaking to the press after the meeting, Caglayan said he certainly believed that many financial institutions, in particular the IMF, would upgrade their economic growth outlook for Turkey. Mentioning his discussion with IMF head Christine Lagarde, Caglayan quoted Lagarde as saying, "Although you don't need us anymore, we need you, and if Turkey continues growing this way, it will leave all of us jobless." Caglayan added that he was proud of the government's strategies for planning the next 10 years concerning the economic outlook.