Simsek urges France to consider Turkey's strategic importance

Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek yesterday said that France should keep in mind Turkey's strategic importance and not make populist decisions based on short-term gains. "Turkey is an important country with its history and culture. It is an important country for Europe," Simsek told a conference in Lille, France on joint business and investment opportunities between the two countries. Simsek said Turkey is not an ordinary rising market, as it has the second-largest population in Europe and the sixth-largest economy. He said EU is the engine of economic and political changes of countries in Europe, adding that Turkey is also changing. Simsek said the Turkish banking sector proved its solidity in the face of the world economic crisis and would assume a large role in growth after the crisis. "The Turkish banking sector may be the world's most profitable," he added. Simsek stressed that without Turkey Europe can't be a global power, saying Turkey would bring added value to the EU. Simsek said Turkey places importance on renewable energy and that it has great potential in wind and geothermal energy. Asked about the Maastricht criteria, Simsek said, "Turkey is working to fulfill the obligations of these criteria. Targets are about to be fulfilled in inflation and interest rates." On joint investment, Simsek said Turkish companies could cooperate with French firms on agriculture, energy and infrastructure projects.