Turkey's industrial output increased to all time high, both monthly and annually, a rise which would require a revision of growth forecast for 2010 at 7-8 percent, country's industry & trade minister said on Tuesday, Anadolu News Agency reported.
Turkey's industrial output index rose 16.9% year-on-year in December 2010, TurkStat, the counrty's statistics body, announced earlier in the day. The industrial output in December 2010 also rose 16.8% compared to November 2010.
Industry & Trade Minister Nihat Ergun, who assessed figures in a statement, said that recent statistics proved a continuing upward trend in economic performance following the global economic crisis. He said the picture regarding the fourth quarter of 2010 had become clear after recent statistics.
"I think growth forecast for the last quarter of 2010 will be revised once again. 2010 growth forecast, which was around 3-4 percent at the beginning of last year and then lifted to 6.8 percent in government's medium-term program, should now be revised upward to 7-8 percent," Ergun said.
Growth statistics for 2010 will be announced in March.
Ergun said Turkey's economic performance had rebounded to pre-crisis levels and added that better days were ahead for the real economy.