Speaking at an iftar (fast-breaking dinner) in the eastern province of Elazığ organized by the Elazığ Young Businessmen Association (ELGİAD) on Saturday, Meral underlined that Turkey has experienced a significant economic leap in the last few years and that policies being pursued have turned Turkey into a country with high prestige, spoken of globally. “Most places we travel to abroad, and developing countries in particular, say they are proud of Turkey and should take it as an example,” he said. The dinner was also attended by the city’s mayor, Süleyman Selmanoğlu, and Elazığ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ETSO) President Ali Şekerdağ.
In his speech, Meral encouraged the local businessmen present to explore the world and be courageous about investing abroad. He said the initiatives of businessmen are of the utmost importance to Turkey’s development and growth. “A heavy duty falls upon businessmen’s shoulders. Please don’t say you don’t speak a foreign language. Look, many businessmen who don’t speak any foreign language have done quite well. Take advantage of the opportunities, travel abroad and see what you can do there. Everything will work out if we can only sacrifice our convenience and leave our air-conditioned offices,” he said.
Meral also commented on the upcoming public referendum slated for Sept. 12 and said it should not be turned into a political quarrel because it is a national matter beyond politics, calling on all sides to act with common sense. He also reiterated TUSKON’s support for the proposed change.
“This is a significant referendum. Turkey has sustained an important rising trend and this should continue. In that regard, we are very interested in the popular vote on constitutional amendments. TUSKON has said that, without politicizing the matter, the amendments should be endorsed because they are a means to expand rights,” he noted.
