İş Dünyası | 4 Kasım 2026

Summary

France’s Fiscal Outlook

France’s finance minister said the government does not need to revise its 2026 budget-deficit target of 5.4%. The minister also emphasized that meeting the 5% target in 2027 is important for maintaining credibility.

Nuclear Energy and COP31

IC Nuclear Technology Chairman Murat Bayar argued that nuclear power will be essential to reducing reliance on fossil fuels and meeting global emissions goals. He cited a pledge signed by more than 30 countries, including Türkiye, to triple global nuclear capacity from roughly 400 GW to 1,200 GW.

Bayar said investment slowed in many Western countries after major accidents, but interest and financing are returning, including from institutions such as the World Bank.

Türkiye’s Nuclear Plans and SMRs

Bayar said his company is involved in Akkuyu and is conducting feasibility work with international partners for possible projects in Sinop and Thrace. He also described the company’s co-licensing arrangement with US-based Arc Clean Technology for a fourth-generation, sodium-cooled small modular reactor. The technology remains in research and development and would require regulatory approval.

Bayar said SMRs could provide dependable power for data centres and industrial sites, including facilities that need high-temperature process heat. Türkiye’s stated ambition is to add 20 GW of nuclear capacity, including 5 GW from SMRs. His company aims to invest in at least 10 reactors in Türkiye and a further 10 in the region.

Istanbul Chamber of Commerce

Şekib Avdagiç was re-elected as president of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, receiving 251 votes from 270 council members. He said the chamber would continue to represent business concerns to public authorities.

Avdagiç identified access to finance—especially for microbusinesses and SMEs—as a key priority. He also called for a better relationship between the exchange rate and inflation, arguing that sustained appreciation of the lira has made domestic production and exports harder and imports more attractive.

Fund-Market Disruption and Economic Outlook

Avdagiç said the fund-market disruption affects a limited share of a roughly 15-trillion-lira market in numerical terms, but has had a disproportionately large psychological effect. He cited 3,000 affected real-sector firms and 116 billion lira in liquidated funds, and called for swift measures to restore confidence.

He acknowledged that businesses and consumers had become more cautious, but did not expect a substantially sharper downturn if the authorities act quickly and market conditions normalize.

US Politics

Asked about the reported midterm-election setback for President Trump and its possible implications for Turkish-American relations, Avdagiç declined to make a firm forecast. He said the political shift could affect US economic policy and foreign affairs.

Presenters and Contributors

• Murat Bayar — Chairman of the Board, IC Nuclear Technology
• Şekib Avdagiç — President, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce
• Dilhan Demir — Bloomberg HT reporter
• Business World presenter — Name not identified in the subtitles