Erdogan: "Everyone should take the responsibility to counter the global economic crisis"

Before leaving for India yesterday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that everyone should assume responsibility to minimize the impact on Turkey of the global economic crisis, warning banks to avoid calling back loans given to real sector companies. Stressing that the government is doing its part to blunt the crisis' damage, Erdogan said that they would continue to take all necessary measures to protect Turkey's real sector. Erdogan also said that all government institutions and economic actors should work together in concert to successfully resist the crisis. Later, Erdogan said the government is working a new package of measures to protect the real sector. Reiterating that no one should try to exploit the crisis, Erdogan said that the details of the new package would be announced after he returns from India. The new measures would reportedly facilitate loans for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and work to stem job losses due to the crisis.