40 YEARS WITH DEIK: THE GLOBAL JOURNEY OF TURKIYE’S BUSINESS WORLD

DEİK has become a platform that strengthens Türkiye’s international business relations through business diplomacy

Former DEIK President and TUSAŞ Board Chairman DEIK Eski Başkanı ve TUSAŞ Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Ömer Cihad Vardan discussed the role of Turkish busi ness in the global arena, the historical significance of DEIK, and the strategic vision gained through 40 years of experience for the 40th anniversary special edition of Business Diplomacy magazine.

IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT ASPECTS OF DEİK’S HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE TO THE TURKISH BUSINESS WORLD AND THE ROLE IT HAS PLAYED SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT STAND OUT?

The foundations of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) were laid in 1985 with the establish ment of DEIK/Türkiye-US Business Council (TAIK), our first business council, during the tenure of the late Turgut Özal.

The fundamental logic behind this business model, which involved establishing a business council between the two countries to bring together high-level representatives of the business communities of Türkiye and the other country on a single platform and to increase business volume by regulating economic relations between the countries, spread throughout the world over time. On this occasion, Business Councils were established between and many countries under the umbrella of “DEIK”.

When establishing these Business Councils, Türkiye’s eco nomic structure, industrial capacity, and export capabilities were taken into consideration; not only goods exports but also foreign investments and contracting services were included within this scope.

Thanks to the enterprising, bold, proactive, and courageous nature of our people, our investments as the Turkish business world in many countries through DEIK, our foreign trade volume with these countries, and consequently our contribution to the country’s economy began to increase significantly. In summary, DEIK and its activities have evolved over time to play an important role in Türkiye’s foreign economic relations.

By the time we reached 2014, a need for consolidation in foreign economic relations emerged in line with the vision of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, regarding our country’s forward-looking goals. To this end, it was decided to change the status and working structure of DEIK and to conduct these activities, which were beginning to play an important role in the country’s economy, under a single umbrella. Our government tasked DEIK with establishing an accredited institution that could serve as a direct counterpart in foreign economic relations for institutions, chambers, and entrepreneurs abroad.

The implementation of this change was expected from our Board of Directors, whose chairmanship was entrusted to my humble self. Our Board of Directors, composed of distinguished representatives from the business world, used their knowledge, skills, and experience to quickly determine DEIK’s strategic roadmap for the new era. DEIK’s corporate identity and the working methods and procedures of its Business Councils were defined. This new structure was embraced by all stakeholders and immediately began active work.

Today, as we witness the successful work of DEIK in its 40th year and, in this context, the journey of the Turkish business world on the global stage, the undeniable contribution of our members and all our colleagues to DEIK’s transformation and activities during my presidency from 2014 to 2017 comes to mind once again. It is impossible to forget the role DEIK played during the treacherous coup attempt our country faced on July 15, 2016. All of our colleagues in the business councils traveled to over a hundred countries under their responsibility, conveying the message that business was continuing as usual in Türkiye and striving to prevent our country’s reputation from being tarnished by negative propaganda. I express my gratitude to all of them.

HOW DO YOU VIEW DEİK’S POSITION IN THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS WORLD AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS IT WILL MAKE TO TÜRKİYE?

As of today, DEIK, which operates globally with 153 Business Councils, has built bridges that will pave the way for the business world throughout its 40-year journey by establishing direct contact with relevant countries to develop Türkiye’s trade and investment relations abroad with a strategic vision. I am pleased to see this. In fact, I find it very valuable that it has introduced the concept of “business diplomacy” to Türkiye.

DEIK’s activities in the context of business diplomacy, defined as Türkiye’s “soft power” in international relations, are particularly significant in today’s turbulent global economy, representing our country and increasing the trade volume of our business world. It is my belief that DEIK, one of the most important platforms representing Turkish business in the global arena, will continue to successfully build bridges between business communities around the world, drawing on the experience gained from its 40-year history. In this context, I wish all my colleagues’ success in serving our country