Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank made a presentation of the ministry's budget at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Plan and Budget Committee. Claiming that countries are struggling with high inflation rates that they have not seen in the last 50 years, Varank pointed out that we are in a period of different problems, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the Russia-Ukraine war, from food and energy bottlenecks to trade wars.
HAMBURGER TENSION
While talking about the R&D studies carried out in Turkey, Varank said, “There is no need to go to America to eat hamburgers,” referring to CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. CHP deputies objected to these words, saying that they contained insults. After the discussion flared up, CHP Istanbul Deputy Mehmet Bekaroğlu said to Minister Varank, “Tell the Minister not to provoke him”. After the tension, Varank continued his presentation.
CURRENT DEFICIT TARGET: 9 BILLION DOLLARS
Expressing that Turkey has become a center of attraction for investors, Varank stated that the support payment to be made until the end of this year alone in order to reduce investment costs is more than 4 billion Turkish Liras (TL). Reminding that they have decided on project-based support for 10 new investments in critical areas such as health technologies, renewable energy, defense industry, electric vehicles and battery production this year, Varank said: “We aim to reduce our current account deficit by 9 billion dollars thanks to these projects, which will be realized with an investment of 201 billion TL.”