Speaking in Washington, TUSİAD head expresses concern over Ergenekon probe

Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairwoman Arzuhan Dogan Yalcindag took part in a panel at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think-tank, presenting TUSIAD's report "Rebuilding a Partnership: Turkish-American Relations in a New Era, a Turkish Perspective." Speaking at the panel, Yalcindag expressed her concern over the ongoing Ergekon probe. "The government seriously misjudged the severity of the economic crisis," she added. "Its reluctance to face up to reality and expectancy of (last month's) local elections led it to postpone any serious effort to come up with an economic program. Meanwhile, industrial production has fallen dramatically, and unemployment is at historic high levels. Now we expect the government to sign a three-year agreement with the International Monetary Fund. We hope that this agreement will also demand an independent tax authority, like the IRS (US Internal Revenue Service)."