Meetings with authorities, partners and civil society
The President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile Renaud-Basso, will start an official visit to Turkey on Saturday when she arrives in Istanbul from the EU-Central Asia Economic Forum in Bishkek.
The EBRD President said: “This is my first visit to Turkey as EBRD President and I look forward to meeting the authorities, business partners and civil society representatives. It will allow us to reiterate our commitment to developing the Turkish private sector and other areas of the broader economy.
“Prudent reforms and macroeconomic stability will unlock more investment and help generate sustainable growth. The EBRD is and remains Turkey’s committed partner.”
During her stay in Istanbul and Ankara the EBRD President plans to meet Minister of Treasury and Finance and EBRD Governor Lütfi Elvan, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Adil Karaismailoğlu, Minister of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Murat Kurum and Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar.
The President will also introduce the new EBRD Head of its Ankara office, Mehmet Uvez, to the authorities before he takes up his new post at the start of 2022.
Ms Renaud-Basso will have the opportunity to discuss the latest economic developments with Central Bank Governor Sahap Kavcioglu, but also in meetings with representatives of Turkish small and medium-sized enterprises.
The President will reiterate the EBRD’s support for Turkish municipalities in meetings with the Mayors of Ankara, Istanbul and Gaziantep, Mansur Yavas, Ekrem Imamoğlu and Fatma Sahin, respectively. The three cities have joined the EBRD Green Cities programme, addressing the enormous environmental challenges presented by urban conurbations.
The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Turkey and, to date, has invested €14.2 billion in the country through 351 projects, with 95 per cent of those in the private sector.
Half of the EBRD’s investment in Turkey supports the country’s shift to a low-carbon economy. To date, the Bank has provided €6.6 billion through 175 projects – mostly in the private sector but also to Turkish cities and households – in support of greater sustainability and resource efficiency.