The Trade Ministry’s new industry plan aims to turn Turkey into one of the world’s most important centers of production, Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergün has stated.
The Industry Strategy Paper for the years 2011-2014 is complete, and the content of the paper will be announced on Jan. 5. The ministry prepared the paper in consultation with the country’s leading industrial institutions.
The paper is composed of 72 action plan targets to enhance production in the country, the minister told Today’s Zaman. He said the geostrategic location of the country allows such plans, and continued: “Turkey has now become a country that can take necessary steps to improve the private sector and make long-term plans. Within this scope, we have prepared the much-needed Industry Strategy Paper because strategic approaches are needed in order to benefit from the conjuncture that is in favor of Turkey at the maximum level. Turkey is now able to prepare and apply necessary strategy plans.”
The Industry Strategy Paper for the years 2011-2014 was completed after consulting with Turkey’s leading industrial institutions. The paper, prepared by the Turkish Ministry of trade aims to make Turkey one of the world’s most crucial production hubs by focusing on the structural problems and their comparative advantages
Labor unions representing Turkey’s real sector and civil society organizations have been invited to the meeting where the paper will be announced. In an attempt to highlight that the paper was prepared in consultation with industrial institutions, the chairs of the institutions will take the stage before Ergün to make their speeches. The Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD) and the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) will voice their opinions on the strategy paper.
Ergün stressed that the Industry Strategy Paper resulted from a Supreme Planning Board (YPK) decision after it was negotiated in the Cabinet and added that it will be repeated following a revision after 2014. The minister also stated that after the paper is presented to the Economy Coordination Board (EKK) on Jan. 5 the relevant authorities will take action.
The paper both presents solutions for structural problems and attempts to reflect Turkey’s advantages and opportunities to boost its competitive power, the minister noted, adding: “On Jan. 6, an action plan concerning the automotive sector will be drawn up. Later, the action plans for iron-steel and chemicals, and the electrical, electronics and ceramics sectors will be executed. We hope with this strategy paper to make Turkey the production center of Eurasia.”