Sabancı, who was in Davos to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF), responded to questions from the Anatolia news agency on Thursday concerning the Turkish and global economy. “2008 was a year of crisis, while 2009 was a year of recession. I expect 2010 to be a year of growth both in Turkey and all over the world. I believe the growth rate will be slow; however, the influence of anticipated growth on unemployment is predicted by the majority at Davos to be small,” she said.
The Turkish economy is anticipated to enjoy a growth rate of about 3.5 percent, Sabancı said. However, she added that a stand-by deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) might increase this further. Underlining that the world has been through an important change, she cited the main theme of this year’s WEF as this change. “We are going to rethink, redesign and redo the economy from the beginning,” she added.
Citing unemployment as an important issue that needs to be rethought, she continued: “Unemployment exists throughout the world. Creating new employment opportunities with the help of international institutions such as the G-20 and the IMF in the coming period is the most discussed subject here at Davos. Resolving the unemployment problem will need more time,” she remarked.
Growth by itself might not be enough to solve the unemployment issue, Sabancı commented, adding that new models are being debated at the WEF.
