Erdoğan Meets With Slovakian President To Discuss Bilateral Ties

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has met with Slovakian President Andrej Kiska in Slovakia to foster ties with the EU member country and exchange views on regional and international developments.

Erdoğan paid a visit to Slovakia on Tuesday, the second destination in his trip to three EU member countries, along with several ministers, including EU Affairs Minister Volkan Bozkır, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yıldız and Environment and Forestry Minister Veysel Eroğlu.

In a joint press conference, Kiska hailed the fact that in the past four years the trade volume between the two countries has increased six-fold and stood at $1.3 billion in 2013.

Highlighting that Turkey and Slovakia are brotherly countries, Kiska said Turkey should be entitled to EU membership since the country made great progress towards acceding to the EU.

He added that Turkey is the second most-liked destination abroad for Slovakians and that the number of tourist from Slovakia to Turkey has surpassed 130,000 this year.

Erdoğan said a science forum will be organized by the two countries in the near future.

He also announced that the two countries have agreed to establish a monument honoring Turkish soldiers who died during World War I in Slovakia.

Erdoğan addresses cheering crowd in Slovakia

Erdoğan, speaking to a cheering crowd gathered in front of the hotel where he had been staying, reiterated his desire to transition to a presidential regime in Turkey.

“I know that Turkey is now in a process of change and transformation. The shirt we are wearing does not fit us. … From now on, the shirt that suits us is a new administrative restructuring, namely the presidential system,” he continued.

Erdoğan is a strong supporter of a presidential system. Although the Constitution requires President Erdoğan to be impartial, he has asked the Turkish electorate to support the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), his former party, so that it can win 400 seats in Parliament, giving the AK Party the numerical majority to press ahead with changing the Constitution and switching to a presidential system.

He also highlighted the fact that in the presidential elections that took place last summer, only 25 percent of Turkish citizens living abroad went to the polls and called on all citizens to cast their votes in the upcoming general election.

Erdoğan invites Slovenian entrepreneurs to Turkey

Speaking at the Turkey-Slovenia Business Forum on Monday before his visit to Slovakia, Erdoğan said Turkey offers favorable conditions to foreign businessmen planning to invest in Turkey.

“Conditions are ripe for Slovenian businessmen to invest [in Turkey]. … In six regions, there are significant opportunities [for businessmen], including land acquisition and tax exemption. I believe Turkish and Slovenian firms can jointly undertake highway and railway projects that are planned to be launched in the near future [in Turkey],” Erdoğan said.

He also offered advice to the Slovenian government on the issue of privatization of state enterprises.

Saying there are plans by the Slovenian government to transfer ownership of various state enterprises to private hands, Erdoğan added that Slovenia will benefit from privatization.

“Don't privatize the sectors of electricity distribution, telecommunication and finance. … Don't privatize the whole finance sector. Part of it [the finance sector] should be owned by you,” continued Erdoğan.

He also mentioned Turkey's goals for 2023, the centennial of the foundation of the Turkish Republic.

“Our goal is to attain a gross domestic product [GDP] of $2 trillion in 2023. We believe in ourselves and our businessmen. There is no country in the world that Turkey does not export to,” said Erdoğan.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)