World Bank head praises Turkey's development

Addressing the audience during the opening session of the 5th Izmir Economic Congress on Wednesday in Izmir, World Bank President Jim Young Kim praised Turkey's socio-economic development over the last decade. Recalling founding father of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's remarks that the economic development formed the backbone of the ideal of Turkey which would be free, independent, ever stronger and more prosperous, Kim said the following in his opening remarks: "Turkey has made great strides in the realization of this ideal thanks to a solid track record of macro-economic management and structural reforms." Acknowledging Turkey's achievements in the field of health transformation, Kim said that the other countries have a lot to learn from the policies implemented by Turkey. Kim also noted that Turkey's achievements offered valuable lessons to many developing countries, particularly neighboring countries currently in political turmoil, which has led the World Bank to share Turkey's experiences with other countries like Malaysia and Iraq within the framework of a project.