April 13, 2017•Update: April 18, 2017
IZMIR, Turkey
Turkey has accomplished economic growth double the European Union and OECD average despite last year’s political difficulties, the nation’s prime minister said Wednesday.
Speaking at a meeting with businessmen in Izmir, Binali Yildirim pointed to how some rating agencies are revising upwards their forecasts on Turkey's economy for the years come.
"To those who lowered Turkey's note after the July 15 coup attempt, we said: You spoke too soon, you will change your mind," he stated.
The latest OECD data forecasts Turkey's growth rate this year at 3.26 percent and 3.8 percent in 2018, while it predicts that the average of the OECD countries this year at 1.98 percent and 2.29 percent in 2018.
Yildirim also urged more support for Yes votes in Sunday’s referendum from businesspeople in Izmir, where he was elected a member of parliament, and promised new investments in the city.
Sunday’s referendum proposes a host of constitutional reforms that would hand wide-ranging executive powers to Turkey’s president.
The post of prime minister would be abolished and the president would also be allowed to retain ties to a political party.
Other changes include the minimum age of parliamentary candidates being reduced to 18 and the number of deputies increased to 600.
The Yes campaign is backed by the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), while the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has campaigned against the changes.
*Ilker in Istanbul contributed to this story.
