Ergun: "7 pct growth this year is almost certain"

A gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of at least 7 percent by year's-end is almost certain given recent positive figures on industrial output, capacity utilization, and other macroeconomic data, said Industry and Commerce Minster Nihat Ergun yesterday. Speaking to reporters in Ankara, he pointed to the International Monetary Fund's projection that Turkey's economy could grow as much as 7.8 percent this year. As economic activity rises, industrial property rights take on greater importance, he said, and added, "We're expecting applications for patents and useful models (this year) to exceed 11,000." In the last couple of years, Turkey has made Europe's top three in terms of the number of trademark and industrial design registration applications, he said. Furthermore, he added, in the first nine months of this year the number of applications for patent and useful model registrations rose 9 percent to over 8,000, trademark applications 19.6 percent to over 61,000, and industrial design applications 14 percent to some 22,500. In the same period, applications for industrial property rights were also up 17.1 percent, he added.