The 37th Ordinary Elective General Assembly of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) and the 3rd Master Pioneers Award Ceremony took place in Istanbul on May 25, 2024. The event was hosted by DEİK President Nail Olpak, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak, and Minister of Industry and Technology Fatih Kacır in attendance. Following the 37th Ordinary Elective General Assembly of DEİK, where the new Board of Directors and Board of Auditors were elected, the Master Pioneers Awards honoured those who have added lasting value to DEİK through their global work in commercial diplomacy. At the DEİK Master Pioneers Awards, organized for the third time this year, TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and leading figures of the Turkish business world honoured the late businessmen Şarık Tara, Ali Osman Ulusoy, and Ahmet Şahap Ünlü.

PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN: “DEİK IS NOT ONLY THE UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION FOR OUR BUSINESS DIPLOMACY BUT ALSO THE FOREMOST REPRESENTATIVE PLATFORM FOR OUR COUNTRY’S BUSINESS WORLD”

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan thanked DEİK members for their contributions to Türkiye’s development, economic growth, export increases, and job creation. Mr Erdoğan said, “I am sincerely pleased to meet with you, my brothers and sisters, at the general assembly of DEİK, the north star of the Turkish private sector. I congratulate the members of the DEİK board of directors elected for the 2023-2027 working period and wish them success in their duties. Since its establishment in 1985, DEİK has played a vital role in managing the foreign economic relations of the Turkish private sector, particularly in foreign trade, international investments, services, and logistics. With the understanding that “talent requires appreciation”, I congratulate our esteemed masters who have been deemed worthy of this award and extend my thanks for their efforts and dedication.” Referring to DEİK as the umbrella organization of business diplomacy and the platform with the highest representation capability, bringing together the leading actors of the country’s business world, President Erdoğan stated that DEİK, with its 152 business councils and 5,000 members, is the private sector’s window to the world.

MINISTER BOLAT: “I FULLY BELIEVE THAT DEİK WILL PROGRESS LIKE A RELAY RACE AND FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE REPUTATION OF THE TURKISH BUSINESS WORLD IN THE GLOBAL ARENA”

Since 1985, DEİK has been one of the driving forces behind Türkiye’s export mission. Minister of Trade Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat stated, “Together with our Ministry of Trade, DEİK, and other business NGOs, we form a strong Turkish National Team. We organize bilateral business forums in Türkiye and abroad, along with general and sector-specific trade delegations and business diplomacy activities. Our aim is to elevate the daily average of USD 1 billion in goods exports per working day to USD 1.5 billion per day, in line with the perspective of the “Century of Türkiye”. We are confident that the complementarity and cooperation between our Ministry of Trade and DEİK will continue to grow in the upcoming period. With the elections and decisions made at today’s general assembly, I am confident that DEİK will advance using the relay race method, further enhancing the reputation of the Turkish business world on the global stage.”

NAiL OLPAK: “AS DEİK, WE WILL PRIORITIZE SEIZING NEW OPPORTUNITIES, GUIDED BY OUR STRATEGY TAILORED TO THE EVOLVING TRENDS IN GLOBAL TRADE”

At the 37th DEİK Ordinary Elective General Assembly, DEİK President Nail Olpak expressed gratitude to the outgoing members of the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board and extended best wishes to the newly elected members. Mr Olpak emphasized, “At DEİK, we closely monitor all global trends and tailor our strategies and activities accordingly. In our new term, we will maintain effective operations by segmenting the American continent into North and Latin regions, intensifying our efforts in Europe despite the delayed modernization of the Customs Union, capitalizing on opportunities in the Middle East, enhancing collaboration in Africa, striving for balanced bilateral trade in the Asia Pacific region, boosting trade with countries of the Organization of Turkic States, and fostering greater coordination with our DTİK Diaspora representatives across 131 countries. On the occasion of the 3rd Master Pioneers Awards, which we are organizing for the third time this year, I would like to extend my gratitude to the masters of yesterday. They have guided DEİK to these present days, navigated through challenges adeptly, and carved a place in our hearts through their contributions to our global journey. I also express appreciation to the masters of today, who work tirelessly with passion and dedication.