ISTANBUL

Turkiye will soon be among the world’s top 10 economies, the country’s president said on Saturday.

“We are now on the threshold of a new and greater development revolution. We have taken the leap forward that will place Turkiye, whose security we have ensured and basic infrastructure we have built and which we have provided with the services it deserves in every area, among the world’s top 10 economies,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a video conference during inauguration of newly-completed projects and facilities in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak. He said the goal will be achieved through an increase in investments, employment, production, exports and current account surplus.

"No doubt it will not be so easy for this great revolution to materialize and move forward ... we focused on production and exports ... to seize this opportunity (during the pandemic),”​ the president said.​

​​​​​Erdogan has time and again said that Turkiye, a member of G20 – a forum 20 of the world's largest economies – will succeed in its “economic war of independence.”

Turkiye has also sought to repair relations and open the door to cooperation in foreign trade with countries including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Armenia.

Earlier in the day, the president said he and first lady Emine Erdogan tested positive for the omicron variant of coronavirus, adding that they are both doing fine and working from home.

World leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan have wished them a quick recovery.