ISTANBUL — One of Turkey's most powerful businesswomen, Suzan Sabancı Dinçer, chairperson of Akbank and executive board member of Sabancı Holding, criticized Moody's changing Turkey's credit rating from stationary to negative. Sabancı, also a member of one of Turkey's most powerful families, said the Turkish economy remains strong against the background of the Dec. 17 operation and elections.

The day before Sabancı's statement, Ali Koç, an executive board member of Koç Holding, one of the largest holdings in Turkey whose owners were cited by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the Gezi protests for supporting demonstrators, praised the Turkish economy and noted recent times have been the best periods of the country.

Both holdings, influential members of the Turkish Industrialist and Businessmen Association (TÜSİAD), which has been criticized by Erdoğan for being the doomsayer of the economy,