No tension with gov’t, business leader says

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet

The Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) is not at odds with the government, the business body’s vice president and sole candidate for the group’s upcoming presidential election Muharrem Yılmaz said. There will also be no major changes in TÜSİAD’s program, he said.

Currently there are no issues of dispute between TÜSİAD and the government and issues like these should be interpreted according to their context, Turkish Time magazine reported Yılmaz said when asked whether tensions had formed between the nation’s government and main business association.

TÜSİAD’s chair, Ümit Boyner has recently had several harsh discussions with Cabinet members and last week blamed politicians for taking a gender-based discriminative stance against her.

When asked about his nomination as the sole candidate for TÜSİAD’s presidency, Yılmaz said he is very proud of the decision reached by the TÜSİAD Board of Directors. “Think about [it as] the former presidents of TÜSİAD reaching a consensus on me. I strongly feel the responsibility that comes along with that.”

TÜSİAD has institutional traditions and a long-term agenda, Yılmaz said, so he would not lead major changes during his presidency, adding that institutions with traditions don’t change radically. “Our duty is periodic representation. The specialists inside sustain the association,” he said.