No accidents and crises

This year brought all the difficulties one can imagine on all countries and nations. But the one to be blamed should not be 2008. The point the world reached in 2008 is not the cause but the consequence of early doings. In other words, the total value of world trade was 14 trillion U.S. Dollars, the total World GDP was 62 trillion U.S. dollars and the total funds which were circulating around world markets was 500 trillion U.S. dollars. These numbers are sufficient enough to show you the dimension of the business. But to enable big masses to get even a little share of the world's wealth, maybe the system had to be manipulated, even artificially. In the end, as it is in all systems which are manipulated this one also has crashed. Today the world needs a new economic and financial system.

Turkey on the other hand, had a comfortable time these past five or six years benefiting from the artificial wealth pushed to her side and entered into a consumption spree. The present government introduced us the new era of wealth as its big economic achievement. Of course, relatively we became wealthy. The number of our credit cards increased parallel to the rate of our debts.

We felt very comfortable. From time to time we paid lip service to certain economic problems but never sought to find solutions to them. Even in 2008 the present government didn’t think to pass the necessary bills regarding the economic infra structure. Only certain social security and research and development bills were adopted in Parliament.

The interesting thing is that the 2009 fiscal budget passed in Parliament regardless of the difficulties Turkey will face in the coming year. This means a new fiscal budget will have to be shaped in 2009. What’s more is that Turkey will wave to pay back a total debt of nearly 80-100 billion dollars in 2009. Due to decreasing public funds Turkey has to find sources to pay her debts. To do this, starting from the Treasury, the structure has to change from a debt-seeking one to a project producing one.

On the other hand the Turkish National Assembly will have to follow more closely the new developments in the international economic arena. It is essential to set up a Parliamentary Economic Commission to which every public body, bureaucrat and politician will have to submit periodic reports. Turkey also will need to set up a forum for the years 2009 and 2010 to which every civic society group and every professional chamber will be represented and will study ways to find solutions to economic problems. In democracies you cannot do this kind of work with politicians who will present these studies as their big achievements for election gains. Our biggest problem is the lack of political leadership. Although negative signals are being received nobody is doing anything to produce solutions for the coming problems Turkey will face in 2009.

Actually being optimistic and happy with yourself is a human treat. It is also a scientific reality. The human body guards itself from outside negative impacts by thinking positively. But in a country like Turkey which is situated in such a critical part of the world, which lived through very erratic times during the past 50 years and which has to feed 73 million people, it is not enough to do slight face-lifts to the economy and present it to the public as big achievements. You cannot leave aside all these problems and focus yourself only on the upcoming 29 March municipal elections and afterwards pray for help from forces from above.

Led by the U.S. it is obvious that the world economy will start to recuperate in 2009 and 2010. Immediately we have to start producing economic methods which will adapt the country to the new developments in the world economy. We are aware that crises bring along opportunities. But you have to use these opportunities accordingly and get results.

I wish you all a very happy healthy New Year in 2009 in which there will be no traffic accidents and economic crises.