EU-TURKIYE BUSINESS SUMMIT TO LAUNCH NEW ERA OF COOPERATION IN EUROPE

DEİK/Türkiye-Europe Business Councils play an active role in critical issues such as visa liberalization and the Customs Union, while the EU–Türkiye Business Summit on November 17 creates a strong platform for joint projects and new investments

In our interview with Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ, Coordinator Chairman of DEIK/Türkiye-Europe Business Councils, we discussed the dynamics of Türkiye-Europe trade relations and the opportunities they offer to the business world. The EU-Türkiye Business Summit, to be held in Brussels on November 17, 2025, stands out as a critical platform that will strengthen these relations and open new doors for joint projects.

HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS DEİK’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TURKISH BUSINESS WORLD TO DATE, ITS ACHIEVEMENTS, AND ITS VISION FOR THE FUTURE?

DEIK is an important organization established in 1985 to enable Turkish businesspeople to export, raise awareness in the field of foreign trade, and participate in global networks and developments. DEIK’s main mission is to conduct business diplomacy based on the win-win principle, regardless of country or region. I not only consider this mission important, but I also define it as one of the most important tools for resolving global problems and bottlenecks. For this reason, DEIK not only develops our business world in this area, but also facilitates a tremendous transfer of experience between generations and sectors. Forty years of experience show that DEIK will continue to be a key player in solving Türkiye’s commercial and economic problems over the next 40 years.

COULD YOU EXPLAIN DEİK’S ROLE IN INTERNATIONAL PLATFORMS AND ITS CONCRETE IMPACT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUSINESS WORLD?

Our business world has existed for generations, but as a result of past conditions, it was less aware of external dynamics than it is today. With the establishment of DEIK, our companies, which had been building separate networks in their own fields and taking their experience to the international stage, came together under the umbrella of Business Councils and focused on a single goal: to contribute to Türkiye becoming an important actor and decision-maker in global trade. In this way, our business world has gained a common maneuvering ability for common interests in return for the mission it pursues. DEIK members not only focus on the issues of their own companies; they are aware of any problems in any country or sector and want to contribute to their solution. Today, for example, we play an active role in resolving every issue, from the visa issue between us and Europe to initiatives aimed at updating the Customs Union, and we benefit our country.

COULD YOU SHARE THE WORK YOU CARRY OUT AS DEİK/TÜRKİYE-EUROPE BUSINESS COUNCILS AND YOUR PRIORITIES?

As you know, our world is in a period of uncertainty. Habits, tradtional relationships, and alliances are changing in both the political and commercial spheres, and the status quo is being disrupted. In this age of uncertainty, we believe that regional cooperation is vital. For this reason, in order to sustain commercial and economic development, we cannot think of Türkiye separately from Europe or Europe separately from Türkiye. If we recognize this reality, we must attach greater importance than ever to Türkiye-European Union relations, address the issues that stand in our way and prevent us from moving closer to each other, and set aside those we cannot resolve, so that we do not miss the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead. As DEIK/Türkiye-EU Business Councils, we are conducting intensive business diplomacy activities to demonstrate this importance. Through our Business Councils, we continue to collaborate on a sectoral basis, on a project basis, and on critical export and import issues in each European country, while also operating within the European Union. We keep the following issues on the agenda: visa issues, updating the Customs Union, highlighting alternative opportunities to address problems arising in supply chains, increasing Türkiye-EU cooperation on energy corridors, and ensuring that the EU better understands that the Türkiye defense industry can respond to the need to reestablish Europe’s security. We address these issues through various meetings, business forums, seminars, bilateral talks, and official visits with our counterparts in the business world and with high-level European decision-makers. We also carry out initiatives in both the private and public sectors to ensure that the outcomes are concrete. To better illustrate this, I would like to share an example that I find particularly significant within the scope of our activities: Specifically in Germany, which is defined as the dynamo of the European Union, we have started working with a new counterpart organization to ensure that our Türkiye-Germany Business Council, which has been active since 1996, operates more effectively and diversifies its collaborations. The German-Turkish Business Council, which we supported during its establishment and which was founded to prioritize Turkish-German mutual interests, is now our closest partner in Berlin, operating under the Honorary Presidency of Christian Wulff, the 10th President of Germany. The Council aims to serve mutual interests at the highest level with its structure, which is based on the principle of equal representation of Türkiye’s and Germany’s largest companies.

AS DEİK/TÜRKİYE-EUROPE BUSINESS COUNCILS, IN COLLABORATION WITH EUROPEAN BUSINESS SUMMITS (EBS), YOU ARE PLANNING TO ORGANIZE THE “EU-TÜRKIYE BUSINESS SUMMIT” IN BRUSSELS ON NOVEMBER 17, 2025. COULD YOU SHARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS SUMMIT WITH US?

As I mentioned above, our long-standing relationship presents both challenges and opportunities. To address all these issues with the highest-level partic ipants, we are organizing the EU-Türkiye Business Summit for the first time this year in collaboration with the European Business Summit (EBS), one of Europe’s most prestigious business platforms. The summit will draw a common roadmap in the areas of trade, technology, green transformation, security, and strategic stability, putting critical topics on the table, from the modernization of the Customs Union to the acceleration of digital and green transformations, from the strengthening of supply chains to defense cooperation. With the participation of our esteemed Ministers, EU Commissioners, members of the European Commission, CEOs of global companies, and leaders of think tanks, this summit aims to build new bridges between economic cooperation and diplomacy. Through panels, fireside chat sessions, and networking opportunities, the summit will not only discuss current issues but also take concrete steps toward joint projects and investments. In other words, the EU-Türkiye Business Summit offers the business world and decision-makers the opportunity to shape a shared future at the heart of Europe, at one of the most critical moments in history.