World Bank President to visit Turkey for the first time

In a written statement by World Bank on Monday, it was stated that the World Bank President would pay a visit to Turkey on October 29-31 in order to attend the 5th Izmir Economic Congress, the Official Opening of the Global Center for Islamic Finance, and the 8th Meeting of the Investment Advisory Council (IAC) for Turkey. It was also stated that President Kim would meet with government leaders, including the President Abdullah Gul and the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was reported in the statement that meetings will focus on the challenges and opportunities facing Turkey, an upper middle-income country, and the needed reforms in a more global context. Kim will reportedly be accompanied by Gino Alzetta, Executive Director of the World Bank Group; Laura Tuck, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia; Dimitris Tsitsiragos, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Vice President for Eastern and Southern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East, and North Africa; and Martin Raiser, World Bank Country Director for Turkey. It was also expressed that  President Kim and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan will hold a press conference after the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Global Center of Excellence for Islamic Finance, on October 30th and President Kim will hold a press conference at the end of the opening session of the Economic Congress in Izmir.