MADRID
The President of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres) Alessandro Barberis on Thursday said that the Turkish economy was celebrating a happy period twice.
Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA) in Madrid, Barberis said that "European countries with bad economies had a positive impact on Turkey".
Touching on the economic crisis in Europe, Barberis indicated that he believed European companies would get over the economic crisis.
You have to be optimistic even in situations that seem like impossible. This is the basis of economy. You can not do work without being optimistic, Barberis said.
The European Union (EU) has an history of 54 years and the union has made great achievements in the past. EU leaders must act together to overcome problems, embrace the euro more and conduct more effective politics, Barberis stressed.
Our priority in the crisis period is to extend assistance to small and medium scale companies in Europe, Barberis underlined.
We are trying to strengthen small and medium scale businesses by sending aid from Brussels to various chambers of trade, Barberis noted.
The impact of the economic crisis on companies is part of the game. We need to implement projects for restructuring and development in order to solve problems one by one, Barberis stated.
"Turkey is doing great"
On Turkey's economic situation and role in the Eurochambres, Barberis underlined that Turkey was doing great from an economic perspective.
Turkey is a country contributing to the Eurochambres and with an important role in European geography, Barberis said.
The Turkish economy is celebrating a happy period twice. First of all, the Turkish economy is performing well and secondly, there are countries in Europe going through economic crisis. European countries with bad economies have a positive impact on Turkey. We should not however forget that 10 years ago European countries were doing well economically while Turkey had a bad economy. There are always ups and downs. Turkey is not at the peak while countries like Spain and Italy are at the bottom. It is crucial to be in unity. Being in the EU reflects positively on countries in (economic) difficulty, Barberis also said.
Barberis has been serving as the Eurochambres president for the past two years.
Around 2,000 chambers of trade and industry from 45 European countries are members of the Eurochambres. More than 20 million companies are members of such chambers of trade and industry in Europe.
