I, personally, consider globalization to be both a beneficial and a challenging, inevitable, irreversible process for the world economy and the international financial system. Globalization and liberalization of financial markets bring a variety of changes, presenting opportunities as well as risks both in economies and financial systems throughout the world. One fact is quite clear: the undeniable benefits of globalization are only available to the countries that best manage their economies. (1)  One obvious benefit of globalization is that active international capital flows improve the efficiency of the allocation of world financial resources. As the world market economy has become more globalized, we have witnessed rapid growth in world trade, leading to a higher standard of living during the 1980s and 1990s. In plain language, competition, productivity gains, lower trade barriers and lower cost of external financing on a worldwide basis are the key factors that have led to growth in world trade and rising standards of living. (2)  Globalization also has increased and enhanced competition worldwide. There are several factors behind this consequence. (a)  Firstly, the integration of world markets and rapid technological change led to efficiency gains and growth driven by the lower transaction and information costs. These in turn increased competition through lower costs and higher market efficiency, higher productivity, lower barriers to entry, and new investment opportunities. Geographic distance is no longer a factor that limits the provision of goods and services. Hence, competition both in the industrialized and developing countries has reached almost the same level.

Regarding the monetary policy implementation, the main pillars of the Central Bank’s approach are its transparency, its accountability and its predictability. We, as a Central Bank, always favor a forward-looking approach. Given the increasing importance of its economic presence and close relations with the countries worldwide, it is crucial that Turkey improve its domestic markets to contribute to the efficient allocation of world resources. With this in mind, we will continue to implement structural reforms and our disinflation program to realize robust economic fundamentals. Final thoughts In closing, I would like to comment on what seems to be important in building a more robust and healthy global financial system and the world economy. The ongoing process of globalization, along with the revolution in information technology, is likely to continue in the future. One consequence of this trend is the intensifying competition at the global level. In this context, to benefit from this trend countries all over the world should react positively. The soundness of individual financial systems clearly affects the resilience of the international financial system as a whole. We should devote our efforts towards creating a healthier global environment by minimizing the volatility of international capital flows and the risk of contagion. More effective supervision and surveillance of banking systems is of the greatest importance in today’s international banking environment and the emphasis of the recent supervisory changes has been moving from the “rules-based” method of supervision towards a “risk-focused” supervision.