Moving the Medium-Term Program from Figures to People's Lives
· Halil ETYEMEZ
The 2027–2029 Medium-Term Program, announced by our Vice President Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz, lays out Turkey's economic roadmap for the next three years.
The 2027–2029 Medium-Term Program, announced by our Vice President Mr. Cevdet Yılmaz, lays out Turkey's economic roadmap for the next three years.
Key objectives highlighted in the program include permanently reducing inflation, sustaining growth, maintaining fiscal discipline, increasing production and export capacity, and strengthening investment and employment.
All of these share a common goal: to enhance our nation's prosperity while strengthening economic stability.
I view the MTP partly through the lens of working life.
As someone who has been involved in working life, social policy, trade unionism, public administration, and politics for many years, the fundamental reality I see is this: the most valuable outcome of every correct step taken in the economy is the improvement it creates in our people's lives.
Production is the Foundation of a Strong Economy
One of the significant aspects of the MTP is its integrated approach to production, investment, exports, productivity, and technological transformation.
Turkey's path to development lies in producing more.
The investment by our industrialists, the production by our farmers, the growth of our tradespeople's businesses, the direction of our entrepreneurs towards new fields, and our youth's engagement with technology are the fundamental sources of economic growth.
In the upcoming period, we must further strengthen high value-added production, R&D, digital transformation, and our domestic production capacity.
Because a producing Turkey is a strong Turkey.
One of the Most Valuable Outcomes of Production is Employment
The target of creating approximately 2.1 million additional jobs during the program period is one of the most important aspects of the MTP concerning working life.
Increasing employment is not just an economic issue; it is also a social one.
Having a job not only provides income but also opens the door to contributing, participating in society, and looking towards the future with confidence.
Therefore, it is important to pursue production policies in conjunction with employment policies; to more strongly align vocational training with the needs of the labor market, to prepare our youth for the jobs of the future, and to more effectively match job seekers with employers.
Every new investment must also be a new job, a new income, and a new hope.
Fighting Inflation is Protecting Labor
One of the main goals of the MTP is the gradual reduction of inflation to single digits.
I attach particular importance to this objective.
Because the fight against inflation is not just a matter of price stability; it is also about protecting the worker's wage, the retiree's income, the tradesperson's earnings, and the family budget.
As price stability strengthens, our citizens will be able to plan their futures more comfortably, investors will have a clearer outlook, and economic confidence will be built on a more solid foundation.
In this process, evaluating wage policies in conjunction with productivity, growth, and purchasing power will strengthen labor peace and social prosperity.
Retirees are Part of Welfare
When looking at economic programs, we must also consider our retirees as an important part of growth and welfare policies.
Today's retirees are yesterday's workers and producers.
It is a natural consequence of our social state understanding that our people, who have served the country, worked, produced, and paid premiums for years, should share in economic stability and increasing prosperity.
The reduction of inflation will significantly contribute to protecting the purchasing power of our retirees. Furthermore, as economic opportunities develop, continuing policies that enhance the income and living standards of our retirees will further strengthen our social prosperity.
Our fundamental approach here should be clear:
A balance that protects the worker, cares for the retiree, supports the producer, and strengthens the sustainability of the social security system.
From Growth to Welfare
The MTP foresees a gradual strengthening of growth over the next three years.
It is of great importance for Turkey that growth is based on production, investment, exports, and employment.
The next step is for the economic value generated to be reflected in the lives of all segments of society.
Our workers' purchasing power should increase.
Our retirees' welfare should rise.
Our tradespeople should profit.
Our farmers should continue to produce.
Our youth should receive a good education, work in qualified jobs, and be able to build their future in their own country.
This is how economic growth transforms into social welfare.
Bringing the MTP to People's Lives
What makes the 2027–2029 Medium-Term Program important is not just the macroeconomic targets it sets. The program offers a broad perspective on Turkey's future, encompassing everything from production to employment, technological transformation to human resources.
Now, we need to transform these goals into a strong implementation process with the contributions of the public sector, private sector, employees, unions, professional organizations, and universities.
My experience in working life has taught me this:
The human being is at the center of the economy.
The ultimate aim of production, growth, employment, and social policy is to enhance the prosperity of our people.
Therefore, we can express the goal for the upcoming period as follows:
Moving the MTP from figures to people's lives…
Growing production, increasing investment, creating new jobs, protecting the value of labor, caring for our retirees, and sharing the resulting prosperity with all segments of society.
As Turkey produces, it will grow; as it works, it will strengthen; and as it solidifies its stability, it will increase its prosperity.
A strong economy is one that produces, creates employment, and brings prosperity into people's lives.