Turkish business world condemns attempted coup

The Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) said any intervention to democratic rule cannot be acceptable, in a written statement. 

“No intervention to the democratic rule can be acceptable. All people and institutions need to embrace our democracy and democratic institutions,” said the association.

Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, the head of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB), also denounced the attempted coup.        

“We do not recognize this coup attempt against our country and our nation. As the Turkish people, we all need to be against any coup attempts and back our democracy,” Hisarcıklıoğlu said.     

The head of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK), Ömer Cihad Vardan, said Turkey was a country where the multi-party democratic system was internalized and the sole will was the national will, which was run by an elected government. 

“We are against any coups and behind our government. With an effective and coordinated action by our president [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan], our government, our security forces and other institutions as well as the outstanding efforts by our people and their devotion to democratic rule, the attempted coup was averted,” he said. 

The head of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD), Nail Olpak, also slammed the attempted coup. 

“Some circles who want to interrupt the democratic rule and the national will took action once again. It is time to protect our democracy and national will. The attempt by a group, which does not take its power from the people, to overthrow the legitimate government will fail. We have called for all our members to support the democratic rule and the national will against this coup attempt,” he noted. 

The Banks Association of Turkey (TBB) slammed the illegal move against Turkey’s democracy and national will. 

“We embrace and praise our democracy with our full faith to the principle of ‘sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation,’” said the association. 

Turkey’s main stock exchange, Borsa Istanbul, also denounced the attack, calling it “flagrant.”    
    
“The treacherous coup attempt against democracy and the rule of law was thwarted by the superior solidarity of Turkish political leaders, security forces and the nation,” Borsa Istanbul said in a statement.      
  
Borsa Istanbul also said the coup plotters had tried to occupy its building but failed in the face of resistance from police and security officers.        

The Turkish Tourist Hotels and Investors Association (TÜROB) also condemned the failed coup. 

“We condemn any military intervention and we oppose any intervention on democracy and constitutional institutions,” TÜROB said in a statement.        

Many other national and regional business associations condemned the attempted coup, calling for people to continue supporting democracy and the national will, including the International Investors of Turkey (YASED), the Turkish American Businessmen Association, the Exporters Assembly of Turkey (TİM), the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO), the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (İSO), the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO), the Turkish Union of Agricultural Chambers (TZOB) and the Turkish Young Businessmens’ Association (TÜGİAD), among others.