Ankara (IINA) – In the aftermath of a referendum on constitutional change, in which there was a vote in favor of a new Constitution, the business world has expressed its support for the way the vote went. According to the country’s business people, the Turkish people expressed their willingness for the continuation of development in a stable political and economic environment that facilitates accelerated reforms and more investment.

Prominent actors in the Turkish business world, after seeing the unofficial results of the referendum, which will change Turkey’s governmental system, wish first and foremost that the outcome will be beneficial to the country and the nation. They foresee economic reforms and development as the main items on the agenda in the new system, Daily Sabah News reported.

Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) Mehmet Büyükekşi said: “Our people have expressed their opinion on the continuation of the atmosphere of confidence and stability. They have conceptualized the importance of the removal of duality in governance, and have put an end to the process so that the wounds from coalition periods will not reopen. Today is a day of change for Turkey.”

Noting that people have made the right decision for themselves and the future, he suggested that coordination will also increase among ministries and public efficiency will rise to higher levels. Highlighting that investments will accelerate with the stability and confidence provided by the new system, thus increasing production, employment and exports, the TİM chairman declared: “[The year] 2017, which we declared as a ‘Leap Year’ for our exports, will also be Turkey’s leap year. We will walk with more confident steps toward our 2023 goals.”

“We anticipate that the economy will be the main item on the agenda and reforms will accelerate in the new era when uncertainty is removed,” Foreign Economic Relations Board President Ömer Cihad Vardan said. Stating that the national will has been manifested through this referendum, which was celebrated as a feat of democracy across the country, Vardan said: “We want the outcome of the referendum to be beneficial to our country and nation. As it has been many times before, our people went to the polls and made their choice with a great participation of close to 87 percent for a result that best reflects their will.”

He noted that the unofficial results of the referendum showed that the majority of voters had made their choice about the future administration of the country in favor of the presidential government system.

With regard to the outcome of April 16 Constitutional Amendment Referendum, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) President İbrahim Çağlar said: “The new anchor in the economy will be the ‘yes’ of our people. New records in production, employment, and exports suit this ‘yes.’ The opportunity to press the starter for the pending reforms is here.”

Pointing out that today both domestic and international investors have taken a deep breath, Çağlar suggested that investors no longer wish for political debate and new sources of uncertainty, but want Turkey to focus on long-expected reforms, stressing that the first ingredient of the economy based on the will of the people should be the reforms that will start now.

Chairman of the International Investors Association (YASED) Ahmet Erdem said their main expectation is that the democratic rule of law will be further strengthened with all institutions in the upcoming period, that Turkey will continue the development process by increasing its integration with the developed world on the basis of the global values as it has up to the present date, and that reforms to improve the investment environment will be maintained without interruption.

Erdem also added that Turkey is an economy with high growth potential which offers attractive opportunities for investors, and that having the economy as a priority following the referendum is of great importance for the continuation of foreign direct investment inflow during Turkey’s development process.