Paris, November 29, 2016 – The Global Business Coalition (GBC) increases its efforts to speak with a joint business voice

Dear friends and colleagues,

TÜSİAD President Cansen Başaran-Symes delivered opening remarks at the High Advisory Council meeting, which convened this morning in Ankara. The High Advisory Council is a biannual deliberative conference where the business world takes stock of domestic and global political and economic developments, and offers suggestions to policy makers from a business perspective. Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli, and Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekçi were also in attendance. In her remarks, President Başaran-Symes also commemorated the 45th anniversary of the founding of TÜSİAD, as the independent representative organization of the Turkish business world.

Media outlets and members of the press are being taken into custody and arrested within the context of anti-terrorism laws.

During their visit to the U.S. the TÜSİAD delegation discussed developments after July 15 and Turkey – U.S. relations.

Ms. Cansen Başaran-Symes, President of the Board of Directors of TÜSİAD: "Our Berlin visit during these hard times of Turkey included very important meetings on our relations with Germany and the EU. We observed that open dialogues with our interlocutors are very effective in further strengthening our long established relationship with Germany.