Appreciating the Volunteers of our Business World

I refer to DEİK as the volunteers of our business world, who find their intelligence and wisdom in their hearts, striving to establish a balance of mind and heart

“Gönül”, which means heart in English, is one of the words derived from the root “könül”, from which countless other terms are also derived. To atone, to set one’s heart on, to resent, and many more…

In our language, there are nearly 300 idioms, along with dozens of proverbs and expressions centred around the concept of the heart. While other civilizations prioritize the mind, stating that it is the true essence of human beings, our civilization indexes the mind to the heart. Hence, “the mindful heart” appears, which is a concept that belongs to our culture. Mahmud al-Kashgari describes the heart through the mind. Yusuf Has Hajip describes the mind as “a heart full of compassion”. Therefore, we are a civilization of the mindful heart.

I refer to DEİK as the volunteers of our business world, who find their intelligence and wisdom in their hearts. They prioritize the collective benefit, listening to their hearts while taking steps for the welfare of their country, striving to establish a balance of mind and heart. As an organization, our motto is “Our Business is to carry our power to the world”, and we operate in harmony with volunteers across the globe. DEİK, serving as the gateway of the Turkish private sector to the global arena, has been conducting its operations for 39 years on the principle of voluntary membership, with 152 Business Councils established worldwide.

We persist in our endeavours alongside our Business Councils, Counterpart Organizations, Founding Organizations, and dedicated colleagues, all committed to advancing the “Business Diplomacy” of our nation. Since our last General Assembly, within our DEİK family, which now comprises over 4,500 members across 152 Business Councils, we have successfully organized nearly 3,000 Business Diplomacy events. These events have seen the participation of Presidents, Heads of State, Ministers, diplomatic representatives, and business leaders. Throughout last year, we orchestrated a plethora of events, varying in scale and significance.

From hosting 3,800 business representatives at TABEF to organizing the American Turkish Conference in Washington aimed at achieving our USD 100 billion trade goal with the USA, to engaging in discussions on global diplomacy with Ministers and Ambassadors, and culminating in our DTİK Kurultai, where we welcomed 4,000 Turkish diaspora delegates from 131 nations. We have taken a significant step towards contributing to the presence of women in the business world by establishing a new platform, the “DEİK Women’s Platform”.

Inspired by our predecessors, we are committed to advancing with determination alongside our members and colleagues, fostering more effective business diplomacy through genuine connections and heartfelt collaboration. I extend my sincere gratitude to the esteemed leaders of DEİK, the dedicated volunteers of our business community, whose guidance has propelled DEİK to its current stature. They have adeptly navigated challenges, steered our global trajectory, established and expanded DEİK’s infrastructure, and enriched our institution with invaluable contributions.

In the latest edition of our magazine, we delve into the highlights of the 37th DEİK Ordinary Elective General Assembly and 3rd Master Pioneers Award Ceremony. Also, we had the privilege of hearing from Ebru Özdemir, President of the DEİK Women’s Platform, as she shared insights into the platform’s establishment and inaugural activities this year. In our Journal, Associate Professor Dr Sebahattin Demirkan shared insights on Switzerland’s interest rate cut decision, while DEİK Digital Technologies Business Council Chairperson R. Erdem Erkul contributed an article discussing artificial intelligence technologies. Furthermore, within the magazine, you can explore a diverse array of topics including global energy geopolitics, Türkiye-Iraq relations, the football industry, and numerous other subjects of interest.

Enjoy your reading.