IRRESPECTIVE of the propaganda campaign unleashed by some Western circles to demonize Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey is firmly on the path of becoming a political and economic role model for the third world/developing countries.
At a time when about fifty countries of the world have programmes with the IMF and they are finding it difficult to manage things without IMF packages, Turkey has paid off all its debt to the Fund as its leadership has put the country on firm financial and economic foundations.
There is no doubt that like other countries, Turkey too has badly been hit by the Covid-19 but thanks to the visionary policies of President Erdogan, the country is managing its affairs well.
Erdogan became head of the Government at a time when Turkey suffered from constant economic crises but under his leadership his team worked hard enabling the country not only to pay back its IMF debt but also making an offer to the Fund to contribute $5 billion to help fight the global economic crisis.
Last year, Turkey paid part of Somalia’s debt to the IMF, as part of an initiative the fund kicked off to relieve the heavy debts of low-income countries.
While paying the last instalment of the IMF loan, Tayyip Erdogan proudly announced that the IMF chapter has been closed for Turkey forever and he has lived up to this commitment, ignoring offers of the Fund for a $5 billion package to help overcome the situation created by Covid-19.
Ankara is so confident that instead of entering into a fresh relationship with the IMF, it has adopted a package of measures called “Economic Stability Shield” amounting to TL 100 billion ($14.6 billion) to ease the burden on businesses and households.
Turkey has also provided infrastructural, humanitarian and medical assistance to a number of countries of the world, an indication of its transformation from an aid-receiving country to aid-giving state.
It is because of his nationalist and pan-Islamic policies that President Erdogan has become not only most popular leader of Turkey but also commands highest degree of respect among Muslim Ummah.
Contrary to Western propaganda, he has succeeded in strengthening democratic system in Turkey and managed to increase its GDP 9-folds during his rule.
Things can change for the better in other Muslim countries as well provided they too follow the decent traditions set by Erdogan.
