In his statement, Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) President Abdurrahman Kaan said that Türkiye is sustaining its growth, stating that Türkiye is in a growth process and that the figures show that the wheels are turning very fast when they look at production and the manufacturing industry.

Recalling that the Purchasing Managers Composite Index (SAMEKS) is in its 100th month, Kaan went on to note the following:

"We had announced our official figures after 2014. We actually provide very serious data to Türkiye. Real market data... If the business world looked at them, it would obtain data about the future two months in advance. In general, we always see Türkiye as a country that can grow by 5 percent. The data we announce always indicate that Türkiye will reach 5 percent. In the first quarter, we experienced some difficulty in the market, particularly because the services sector was closed, but we have a growth expectation of 2 percent. Due to the contraction in the domestic market, our manufacturing industry and many of our tradesmen engaged in commerce turned to exports. This may perhaps be very good for us in terms of the future."

"The widespread use of vaccines will contribute to Türkiye sustaining a healthier growth process"

Stating that there could be some relief in the services sector during this summer period, Abdurrahman Kaan said: "The most critical issue here is particularly the services sector. If you consider a period of opening up in social life in which everyone, that is, all restaurants and cafés, are open, which we currently see in Europe, America and England, these have gradually begun. In this way, we take a step towards normalization. In this respect, I think this process will ease somewhat during the coming summer period."

Emphasizing the importance of the work Türkiye has carried out on vaccination, Kaan continued as follows:

"Vaccination is the issue of greatest importance both for the continuity of trade and, of course, first and foremost for human health. This has been the result of the treatments carried out so far in ensuring the body's immune system and its protection against infections. Of course, serious work has been carried out here, which our esteemed President has particularly emphasized, together with our Ministry of Health, on bringing to Türkiye the vaccines that are currently active and accepted in the world.

I would like to state that the spread of vaccination in Türkiye is very important, provided that we also protect human health, both for tourism and for ensuring the continuity of production and the manufacturing industry. During the pandemic period, the departure from production of our worker brothers and sisters who contracted the disease and who provide employment, and the quarantining of the other personnel who were contaminated as a result, of course caused very great difficulties in production and in the manufacturing industry as well. The spread of vaccines and, at the same time, the attainment of social herd immunity will contribute to Türkiye sustaining a healthier growth process and development process in the coming months."

"There is a need for strong civil society organizations ready for the new world order"

Conveying that MÜSİAD has carried out important work since the very beginning of the pandemic process, MÜSİAD President Kaan said that MÜSİAD, in its 31st year as well, is an institution that has never forgotten that ancient tradition coming from the past and that has always put its hand, indeed its whole body, under the stone for Türkiye and for the homeland, in every field and under every condition, whenever there is a difficulty or a matter of development at home or abroad.

Kaan made the following statements: "In this respect, immediately after 11 March 2020, the first day the pandemic emerged here, we rapidly established the Corona Crisis Management Centre, thinking that swift steps had to be taken regarding the coming course of the pandemic. A team of approximately 14 people worked 24/7. Together with this crisis centre, by also bringing MÜSİAD's call centre into the process, we found the opportunity to immediately convey the problems our members experienced on an instant, regional, sectoral and company basis to the competent authorities. Our aim here is this: I would also like to state that we made a very great contribution to the country by immediately obtaining information from the field about what the benefit of the Economic Stability Shield package put into practice by our esteemed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was in the field and about its shortcomings, and conveying it in turn to the ministries. We underlined the protection of employment and the preservation of the production balance as the most important issue."

Explaining that continuous work is carried out and projects are developed at MÜSİAD for the members and the business world, Kaan said: "There is a need for strong civil society organizations, strong presidents and capital platforms that are ready for the new world order."

"The high cost of credit creates very great difficulty in the manufacturing industry"

Pointing out that the high cost of credit creates very great difficulties in the manufacturing industry, Abdurrahman Kaan continued as follows:

"At the same time, it blocks investments. In this respect, the point we have always expressed is this: in a country, the strength of money is determined by that country's investment and production power. That is why, in order for interest rates not to rise any further and to be able to be lowered, the fight against inflation must be conducted very well. That is why we will conduct the fight against inflation by ensuring the increase of production in Türkiye.

Likewise, there is the aspect of external dependency. On the external dependency side, we are carrying out all our work, including our entire committee structure, our renewal, our domestic and national production committee, and, in connection with imports, mergers and acquisitions, that is, including the recovery of our companies experiencing financial difficulty in particular. Here, as MÜSİAD, we make a very great contribution to the improvement of the investment environment."

Emphasizing that carrying out raw material production in Türkiye is important in terms of employment and the fight against inflation, Kaan said: "We have intermediate goods imports of approximately USD 175 billion. How much of these can we produce in Türkiye so as to provide employment? I think that if we do so by using our domestic resources, our fight against inflation will be better."

"We will launch an aid campaign for Palestine"

Stating that the ceasefire achieved between Palestine and Israel is a success of the Palestinians, MÜSİAD President Kaan noted the following:

"We want to carry out sustainable work that will strengthen Palestine economically and strengthen business life there. As you know, Jerusalem is a place where the 3 Abrahamic religions come together. It is not possible for Israel to realize any of the things it particularly desires regarding Jerusalem. It is waging its struggle, but the world, and especially we, the Islamic community, Muslim countries and capital groups, must act accordingly. God willing, we will launch an aid campaign for Palestine. Following that, we will work to bring Türkiye's strong brands to the fore, and we will make this sustainable. Our aim here is not for capitals to clash with one another. If they are waging a struggle here, we will wage this struggle too, and as a result of this we now intend to break somewhat the strength of Jewish capital here, that is, its power in the world market. We will do this in our own country. The field is open to everyone, but if we are strong, if we have a say in the world with our strong companies, we will also have ensured the reconstruction of those places. In other words, when you demonstrate your power, it also has an effect on them and on the committing of such wrongs. So how will you wage the struggle against Zionism? You can only do it through the work you do in commercial life, by stopping working with them. You cannot do it any other way. We will try to do this not in a short-term, day-to-day manner but in a long-term way."