Erdogan receives TUSIAD delegation

Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday received Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) head Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag along with TUSIAD High Consultation Board (YIK) President Mustafa Koc to discuss recent economic developments such as ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund on a new standby agreement and measures to fight the global economic crisis. Deputy Prime Minister Nazim Ekren and Industry and Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan and several other TUSIAD officials were also in attendance. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Yalcindag said that the government had achieved significant progress in talks with the IMF on a possible loan agreement. Yalcindag said that they had discussed several issues concerning the state of Turkey's economy amid the global financial crisis, as well as measures to fight the crisis. "We saw that the government sees such measures the way we do," she said, adding that TUSIAD expects more action from the government, especially to protect the country's real sector from the crisis. She also said that a new package of economic incentives should be passed as soon as possible. Erdogan reportedly assured his visitors that several disagreements would be soon overcome to finalize talks with the IMF, adding that the government would determinedly continue to take all necessary measures to protect the real sector from the crisis.