Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday said he has ordered ministers not to work with American management consulting firm McKinsey, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Treasury and Finance Minister and Erdoğan’s son-in-law Berat Albayrak on Sept. 27 stated in New York that Turkey would work with McKinsey as part of the New Economic Program (NEP) that was unveiled to facilitate recovery from recent economic problems.
The move to retain the consulting firm attracted criticism from opposition parties and also from the Islamist grass roots of Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
“I told all my ministers: ‘You will not accept any advice or consultation from them.’ We do not need it. We’re able to do it by ourselves,” said Erdoğan at an AKP meeting in the Kızılcahamam district of the Ankara.
Underlining that Turkey has sought investment during official visits to foreign countries but never asked for money, Erdoğan said: “Of course, Turkey is open to all kinds of investment, support and contributions as long as the price to pay for this is not sacrificing our country’s sovereignty and future.”
“As long as I am alive, nobody will be able to put Turkey again under the yoke of international organizations,” Erdoğan added, emphasizing that the government would achieve the country’s goals with its own solutions and its own programs.
Speaking to NTV on Oct. 3, Minister Albayrak said speculation about the government’s move to retain McKinsey originated from either “ignorance” or “treason.”