Turkey stood tall during global economy crisis: Erdogan

By Aynur Ekiz and Ferdi Turkten

ANKARA (AA) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said Turkey has overcome all the economic attacks and did not collapse even in tough global economic conditions.

“Even in the times of the harshest storms in the global economy, we managed to stand tall,” Erdogan told a meeting held by the Family, Labor and Social Services Ministry in capital Ankara.

“Today, we continue to walk through our targets despite all economic attacks we are exposed to,” he said, adding that they have decided to become one of the 10 biggest states in the world with an economy program that is based on production, growth and employment.

He noted that there has been a significant development in the participation of women, young people and people with disabilities to labor force in the last 17 years.

Erdogan also said as the world population increases rapidly, the matter of employment has become more complicated in a period where living standards have become higher.

“There is America and Europe, where consumption has reached incredible levels, and on the other side there is Africa and Asia, where children die of hunger, lack of water and medication,” Erdogan said, adding that the situation was grave.

Following the meeting, Erdogan received Director-General of International Labor Organization Guy Ryder, who came to Turkey to attend the Working Assembly meeting.

The closed-door meeting lasted for half an hour.

Turkish Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun; Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin; and Family, Labor and Social Services Minister Zehra Zumrut Selcuk were also present at the meeting.

*Writing by Sena Guler