The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will never have a role in the future of the Turkish economy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, also criticizing the main opposition party on the issue.
“When we came to power [in 2002], Turkey’s debts stood at $23.5 billion,” Erdoğan said Feb. 21 at a local election rally in the western province of Denizli.
“I told the IMF chair in Davos [at the time] ‘You are not the prime minister of Turkey, I am. You do not have a job to run Turkey, take your money and leave the rest.’
"Now we have no debts to the IMF,” Erdoğan said.