Turkey's deputy PM invites foreign investors

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's economy will grow by over 3 percent despite the negative effects of recent events at home and abroad, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said Tuesday as he invited international investors to invest in the country.

In remarks made during his meeting ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party members in Turkey's southeastern Gaziantep province, Simsek said: "Investors should not focus on the daily ups and downs. These are transient issues. If the country's fundamentals are solid, then even hurricanes cannot damage it permanently."

He praised the citizens' support for the government. "With your support, Turkey will survive all crises. In the race for civilization and development race, Turkey will be strongly on its way," he added.

Simsek pointed out the balance in the country’s budget. "No matter how you look at it, Turkey's economy has shown good performance.

"Turkey's economy grew by 4 percent last year. Developing economies could not grow even by 2 percent, while Turkey achieved more than two times their growth."

About his expectations for the end of this year, he said the country's economy would grow by over 3 percent despite the negative effects of recent events, both domestically and internationally.

"We are striving to protect our country's interests despite the ring of fire around us. Of course, there are some issues, but we have a strong, hardworking government to solve these problems. We have a very well designed route map as well," Simsek said.

In his speech at the opening ceremony of 21st World Investment Conference in Istanbul Friday, the deputy premier also told foreign investors to “not let short-term or daily fluctuations frighten you.

"They [investors] should look at the fundamentals, demographic structure, reform process [in a country]. We can manage the daily issues. Beyond these temporary issues, emerging markets will await investment opportunities."