Turkish business world condemns terror attack at Istanbul airport

At least 41 people were killed and 239 others were injured when suspected Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants attacked Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport late June 28, the Istanbul Governor’s Office announced on June 29.

The Turkish Business and Industry Association (TÜSİAD) condemned the attack, calling it “treacherous.”

“Like all inhumane attacks we have sadly witnessed in recent days, this attack also targeted the peace of our country, the international community and the order of a democratic and open society,” TÜSİAD said in a statement.

It also added that the attack once again revealed the significance and urgency of the necessity for a “total struggle against terror” on a global scale.

TÜSİAD also voiced its expectation for a determined increase in regional and international efforts and cooperation in the fight against terror.

The president of the Exporters’ Assembly of Turkey (TİM), Mehmet Büyükekşi, said the target of the attack was all of the world’s citizens and innocent people who use their most fundamental right, freedom of travel, as well as the country’s peace, potential and economic structure.

“Terror is a reality which not only Turkey but the entire world has to fight in total and always. Turkey will continue to strongly speak out in order for this calamity to be erased from the history of humanity,” Büyükekşi said, pledging support for the fight against terror as exporters.

In addition, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) head İbrahim Çağlar also condemned the attack, vowing that the country would stand against those who had intentions against the country’s peace.

He also reiterated that the attack targeted all humanity.

However, Independent Industry and Business Association (MÜSİAD) head Nail Olpak said that condemning those who slaughtered innocent people and those who tried to find excuses for them had lost its meaning. 

Olpak said the attack was no coincidence, regarding a period when the country took important steps in foreign policy with Israel and Russia.

“Those incidents show that it will be a right move for Turkey, which successfully carries its policy to maximize friends in foreign policy and minimize enemies,” Olpak said.

Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) chairman Salih Bezci condemned the attack, saying that terror was an issue for the entire world.

“Staging an attack in one of Europe’s biggest airports not only casts a shadow on Turkey’s stability but on the geography it is in, at a time when relations with Israel and Russia entered normalization process and there were hopes that it would have positive reflections on tourism,” Bezci said in a written statement.

Meanwhile, the head of the board of Foreign Economic Relations (DEİK), Ömer Cihad Vardan, called the attack “a direct attack targeting the country’s economy, democracy and mostly the feeling of security.”

He said the board believed Turkish citizens would not give passage to humanity’s enemies, inviting the international community to support Turkey’s fight against terror and act together.

Many other business communities condemned the deadly terroristic attacks in the Atatürk Airport, asking for peace and solidarity across the country, including the International Investors Association of Turkey (YASED), the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (İSO), the Construction Materials Industrialists Association (İMSAD) and the International Transporters Association (UND).