IMF official praises Turkey's economic performance

Fund's Turkey chair says the country's macroeconomic foundations are strong IMF's Turkey director has said the country had made a major achievement amid dire global economic outlook by making "a successful soft landing" in 2012. "Your macroeconomic foundations are strong and your role in the International Monetary Fund will grow. Turkey plays an important role in offering solutions to economic and fiscal problems international community faces," Mark Lewis told The Anadolu Agency.    Turkey has reduced its debt to the IMF from $23.5 billion to $400 million and the country has said it would clear the remaining debt to the fund by May. Lewis said Turkey would become one of the top 20 members of the fund following the completion of voting rights reform within the next few months, adding that Turkey's quota in the fund would quadruple.     Lewis said the fund expected a moderate growth pace in Turkey with an estimated rate of 3.5 percent for 2013, adding that it was important for the country to continue focusing on right policies to solve its existing economic problems. The IMF official said Turkey's growth performance and its financial flexibility was praiseworthy, adding that the Turkish economy had proven that it was resilient to shocks.