Turkey's growth in 2018 should top estimates: Erdogan

By Diyar Guldogan</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – Once the figures are announced, Turkey's economic growth in 2018 is likely to beat the estimates, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday.</p> <p>&quot;Hopefully, growth in 2018 will be above estimates despite the plot that was launched against our country using the triad of exchange rates, interest rates, and inflation,&quot; Erdogan told a meeting of ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party provincial heads in the capital Ankara.</p> <p>Erdogan said Turkey's economy grew 7.4 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year, adding that Turkey now has the world’s 13th-largest economy based on purchasing power parity.</p> <p>For 2018, the current World Bank estimate for Turkey's growth is 3.5 percent. </p> <p>Erdogan also touted the government’s dedication to fighting inflation, saying that over 16 years of AK Party rule, the average inflation rate was 9.5 percent, far better than previous governments.</p> <p>