Striking statements from Minister Şimşek about cryptocurrency and the stock market: Here is the number of cryptocurrency investors in Turkey.

```html

The Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, evaluated the Turkish economy at the Halkbank Gençİz Summit held in Istanbul. Making important statements regarding cryptocurrency and stock markets, Şimşek emphasized that the stock market is safer, while cryptocurrencies carry high risks. Minister Şimşek also addressed economic reforms and fiscal discipline, explaining how Turkey can cope with economic challenges.

Important Cryptocurrency and Stock Market Statement from Minister Şimşek

Speaking at the Gençİz Summit organized by Halkbank in Istanbul, Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek made evaluations on a wide range of topics from the economy to savings, and from cryptocurrencies to the stock market.

Making striking statements about cryptocurrency markets, Şimşek noted that there are a total of 22.1 million accounts on four major cryptocurrency platforms in Turkey, drawing attention to the fact that investor interest is directed towards one of the riskiest areas. In his statement, Minister Şimşek said, "Cryptocurrencies are essentially just software. People are buying algorithms written by others. However, unlike the stock market, there is no tangible asset here." Minister Şimşek also emphasized that investment instruments in the stock market are safer.

Şimşek reported that promising developments are taking place in the fight against inflation, stating that the annual inflation rate, which was around 65% last year, is expected to decrease to 44% this year according to Central Bank forecasts. The Minister highlighted the disinflationary effect of reducing the budget deficit, stating, "We are supporting the process with managed price and income policies."

Pointing out the risks in financial markets, Şimşek reinforced the topic with historical examples. Referring to the Dutch tulip bubble of 1634, the Minister explained that the value of a tulip bulb rose to the level of housing prices of the time and then collapsed. Additionally, sharing the example of Newton's loss in South Sea Company shares, Şimşek quoted the famous scientist as saying, "I can calculate the movements of celestial bodies, but I could not calculate the madness of people."

In the summit, Şimşek also touched on the awareness of savings, drawing attention with a striking example. He stated that the annual cost of consuming a pack of cigarettes a day reaches 27,367 TL, and if this amount is invested in a deposit for 5 years, it could rise to 147,000 TL. Emphasizing the importance of starting to save at an early age, Şimşek noted that someone who starts saving at the age of 20 and saves 5,000 TL annually for 10 years could reach nearly 1.5 million TL by the age of 60, while someone who starts at 30 and saves for 20 years could only accumulate around 817,000 TL.

In the final part of his speech, Şimşek addressed global economic issues, highlighting the impacts of transformative technologies like artificial intelligence, climate change, and geopolitical tensions on the world economy. The Minister stressed that Turkey needs to focus on structural reforms during this process.