ISTANBUL
The result of the referendum on Scottish independence should boost businessmen's confidence towards investing in the UK, Richard Moore, Britain's ambassador to Turkey, has said in a speech at the fifth UK-Turkey Business Forum.
His comments came on Friday following the final results of the vote the day before which showed the Scottish people have rejected a possible break-up of United Kingdom, with 55 percent of voters rejecting independence.
The ambassador told delegates: "The referendum results should give you confidence about the UK and over our economic progress."
Pointing to the UK's "recovery" from the recession following the financial crisis, Moore said Britain would have the biggest growth rate in 2014 among the G7 nations.
He also emphasized the wide scope of business opportunities between Turkish and British businessmen, who prioritized investing in infrastructure, finance, health, nuclear plants and the new Istanbul airport, which is planned to be the largest in the world.
- 'Ambitious projects'
Turkish Deputy Economy Minister Adnan Yildirim told the British and Turkish businessmen that Turkey plans to invest $250 billion in the transport, energy and communication sectors until 2023 were part of the country's centennial goals.
Turkey aims to be one of the top 10 economies in the world in the next decade through ambitious projects to boost economic growth, including the construction of the Istanbul Financial Center, a high-speed railway and the new third Istanbul airport.
Yildirim also urged the businessmen in the fifth UK-Turkey Business Forum to boost the trade volume between the two countries, which already stands at $16 billion, with more than 2,500 British businessmen doing business in Turkey.
Meanwhile, Moore praised Turkey for moving from being a middle-income country to a higher level with a labor force increasing by one million each year.
He emphasized the UK's support and involvement in the Turkish economy, while highlighting the complementary nature of Turkish and British businesses.
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