World Bank Head Zoellick to visit Turkey

World Bank President Robert Zoellick will arrive in Turkey today for a four-day visit focusing on Turkey's economy and development, as well as regional and global partnerships and roles, said the Prime Ministry's Treasury Undersecretariat yesterday. WB Vice President Philippe Le Houerou and Executive Director for Turkey Konstantin Huber will accompany Zoellick, who will hold meetings with government officials, representatives of the Turkish private sector, and nongovernmental organizations. "Turkey is a development success with a per capita income nearly tripling that of 10 years ago," said Zoellick ahead of his visit. "It can play an important and growing role in the region and in the world due to its young population, growing economy and geographical position." Besides his meetings with officials, Zoellick will attend an Istanbul meeting of the Turkish Women Entrepreneurs Association (KAGIDER) to present the Equal Opportunity Model program. He will also visit a seismic risk mitigation project in Istanbul, a program supported by the World Bank, and also visit the World War I battlefields of Gallipoli.