Erdogan calls on foreign investors to invest in Turkey, giving assurance of lucrative returns

Addressing the opening ceremony of the Turkey-World Trade Bridge 2009 meeting, held by the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) in Istanbul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that foreign investors engaging in trade with Turkey during this period would surely secure more profit, and called on them to invest in Turkey. Stressing that the global financial crisis has taken its toll on the world trade and that its adverse effects on Turkey's economy have been visible for some time, Erdogan said that the Turkish economy had entered a process of recovery, starting from the first month of 2009. Expressing belief that the country's economy will enter a growth trend as of this summer, Erdogan said, "Those who engage in trade with Turkey and those who invest in Turkey during this period will see abundant returns. I would like to reiterate that exports will start to increase soon and that firms with long-standing ties with Turkish companies will find this process lucrative." Also speaking at the opening ceremony, State Minister for Foreign Trade Zafer Caglayan stressed that it would be wrong remedy to adopt protectionist policies in response to the ongoing global economic crisis. Protectionist countries should not expect to recover from the crisis on their own, he added. Praising the timing of the trade bridge, Caglayan said that the meeting would contribute remarkably to the world economy in the months to come. The Turkey-World Trade Bridge began on June 1 and will run through June 7. It targets striking about $7 billion in deals. About 2,000 businessmen from 115 countries are attending the event with an eye to finding chances of establishing new trade deals with each other.