A BRIDGE EVERY 40 YEARS: THE STORY OF DEIK AND BUSINESS DIPLOMACY

Starting out with just six business councils in its founding year, DEİK has now transformed into a global trade and diplomacy network covering 145 countries with 153 business councils

Every great journey begins with an idea.

In the early 1980s, the world entered a period where globalization was gaining momentum and trade was becoming as decisive as diplomacy. Türkiye was also on the cusp of this change. Prime Minister Turgut Özal’s statement, “I want more trade, not more aid,” symbolized not only an economic vision but also Türkiye’s productive power, entrepreneurial spirit, and determination to open up to the world.

It was this understanding that took shape with the establishment of DEIK in 1985.

FROM AN IDEA TO A GLOBAL NETWORK

Starting with just six business councils in its founding year, DEIK has now become a global trade and diplomacy network covering 145 countries with 153 business councils.

In 1985, Türkiye’s exports stood at $7.9 billion. Forty years later, as of 2024, the export volume has exceeded $262 billion, becoming one of the strongest indicators of the Turkish business world’s global success story. Behind this growth, DEIK’s role as a structure that builds cross-border relationships and sustainable partnerships has been decisive.

A CHANGING WORLD, EVOLVING DIPLOMACY

The 1990s were a period of restructuring for the world and a time of discovering new markets for Türkiye.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, 15 new countries emerged, reshaping Türkiye’s regional relations. DEIK laid the diplomatic groundwork for this expansion by establishing new business councils across a geography stretching from Central Asia to the Balkans, Africa, and Latin America.

The 2000s were the years when Türkiye became an active player in global economic diplomacy.

While we had only 12 embassies in Africa in 2003, today that number has reached 44. During the same period, DEIK strengthened the private sector aspect of this vision by establishing business councils in 49 African countries.

CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION AND NEW GENERATION DIPLOMACY

The restructuring carried out in 2014 symbolized not only DEIK’s organizational transformation but also its mental transformation.

Today, DEIK has created a private-sector diplomatic model rarely seen on the international stage, bringing together nearly 100 civil society organizations, chambers of commerce, exporters’ associations, and industry representatives under one roof, with 153 business councils and over 200 counterpart organizations worldwide.

Thanks to this structure, over 2,000 events are or ganized annually, and trade bridges are built not only between countries but also between sectors, with the participation of tens of thousands of businesspeople.

OUR GLOBAL BRANDS, OUR GLOBAL PLATFORMS

Today, DEIK’s branded events include TRICON (Türkiye Investment Conference), TABEF (Türkiye-Africa Economic and Business Forum), Go! Global Summit, and ATC (American Turkish Conference).

These platforms have now evolved beyond being mere meeting points; they have become global hubs where cross-border vision sharing and cooperation strategies are shaped.

BEING A COMPASS IN AN AGE OF UNCERTAINTY

Pandemics, wars, supply chain crises, green transformation, digital trade, and artificial intelligence…

Over the past decade, the global economy has been shaped by constantly changing dynamics. Throughout this process, DEIK has continued to be the “North Star” of our business world. Efforts in areas such as the green economy, carbon-neutral trade, renewable energy investments, and digital transformation show that business diplomacy has become the key not only to trade but also to sustainable development.

FROM 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO THE FUTURE

Today, DEIK is built not only on the strong foundations of its past but also on those of its future.

The Turkish economy now creates value on a global scale not only through goods exports but also through service exports.

With the inclusion of service exports, we anticipate that our total exports will exceed $400 billion by 2025. At the heart of this growth, DEIK will continue to be a pioneering business diplomacy institution that supports the global integration of Turkish business.

With a broad vision ranging from digital trade platforms to sustainable f inance forums, from the “NextGen Diplomacy” initiative for young entrepreneurs to AI-focused “Smart Trade Dialogues” projects, we are making business diplomacy the language of the new era.

This journey, which began forty years ago with an idea, has today transformed into a global bridge.

The most valuable bridges are not just those between countries, but those connecting people, ideas, and values.

Here’s to many more 40 years…