DEİK tells world Turkey has healthy business environment

Business councils operating under the umbrella of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK) have visited 35 countries so far as part of the DEİK Emergency Action Plan conceived following the July 15 coup attempt. During the consultative meeting held right after the coup attempt DEİK asked every business council to establish face to face contacts with their relevant countries and talk to every high-level bureaucrat, opposite institution, media representative and think tank that they could reach in the said countries. DEİK President Ömer Vardan said 133 business councils, 126 of which are country-based, have held high-level meetings in 35 countries so far, noting that DEİK's aim was to pay visits to every country worldwide.

Stressing that they focused on only one message, Vardan said business councils are telling their counterparts that it is business as usual in Turkey and life is continuing normally. He also stressed that Turkey has become more engaged and determined in order to reach its goals. He added that as an indication, business councils are planning short and medium-term events in the coming period such as business forums, seminars and business-to-business meetings in either the relevant countries or Turkey.

Thanks to its Communication Committee, DEİK will be able to fight incorrect news and "information pollution" around the world, and it can focus on think tanks, representatives of the business world, media outlets and universities everywhere, according to Vardan. DEİK selected Europe and the United States as their first targets and has decided to hold face-to-face talks with institutions in these regions. The DEIK acts in coordination with their founding institutions such as the TOBB, TİM, TÜSİAD, MÜSİAD, YASED and TÜMSİAD, and conducts roadshows in Europe, by sharing assignments with micro crews. "The furthest-reaching institutions, people and experts will come together and tell the world that everything is fine in Turkey," Vardan said.