Ali Babacan

Turkey needs to continue to make reforms to achieve a functioning democracy at internationally high standards while maintaining sustainable economic growth, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said March 13 at the Uluda? Economy Summit.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an on March 11 met with the government's economic pointman and the central bank governor, agreeing on the need to maintain trust in the economy at talks aimed at calming markets after a plunge in the value of the lira.
      

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has held meetings with the chiefs of key monetary and financial institutions, including the Central Bank governor, shortly after returning from New York where he had sought to assure investors spooked by President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an?s recent tirades against the Central Bank.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu met Central Bank governor Erdem Ba?ç? and senior economy officials late on March 7 following his arrival back from New York to discuss the lira's weakness, sources at the premier's office said.
   

In a surprise move, Turkish President Tayyip Erdo?an told journalists on Friday that he would be happy if former President Abdullah Gül returned to the ranks of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) for active politics. Erdo?an also added that last week the two had a telephone conversation.

Turkish authorities have scrambled to stem the markets' rush to the U.S. dollar by issuing smoother statements about the Central Bank, after the Turkish Lira plunged to a series of historic lows.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu is in New York talking to investors. He met with U.S. businessmen and Goldman Sachs direct investors. He was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan and Finance Minister Mehmet ?im?ek.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has sought to reassure some of the world's leading investors about political and economic stability in Turkey during his meetings in New York. His bid to brush off escalating concerns about the investment climate in Turkey follow a series of increasingly strident remarks from President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an about the Central Bank's policies.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu started his three-day contacts in the U.S. on March 4.

We already knew that President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan were not in total agreement about the policies applied, but we recently learned that there was a huge fundamental difference. Erdo?an is continuing to openly and publicly accuse, with harsh words, Babacan and Central Bank President Erdem Ba?ç??s policies.