Özgenç, speaking to the Anatolia news agency, recalled that thousands of SMEs have had to close their doors since Turkey’s 2001 economic crisis. Arguing that addressing the problems of SMEs would also resolve many other difficulties the country faces, he called for an “SME initiative.” Özgenç said such an initiative would be of equal or maybe even greater importance than other recent moves by the government such as the democratic, Alevi and Roma initiatives.
The KOBİDER chairman stated that domestic demand suffered a significant drop due to a lack of consumer confidence, leading to a decline in production and bankruptcies. Hence, both employers and employees lost their jobs, he said. Noting that SMEs have faced serious difficulties over the past three years, he said, however, that they are optimistic regarding the year ahead. “They believe that the government will launch suitable policies to support SMEs,” he added, stressing the vital necessity of a debt restructuring for SMEs.
