Turkish Daily News

July 2010

Despite different ideological backgrounds, Turkey’s largest business group and its most militantly leftist trade union confederation have agreed to assess the country’s four most pressing problems together.

The Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association, or TÜSIAD, and the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey, or DISK, will conduct collaborative studies on a new Constitution, the terror problem, unemployment and regional development, business daily Referans reported Thursday.

DISK Chairman Süleyman Çelebi visited TÜSIAD chairwoman Ümit Boyner on Wednesday before the pair issued a joint press statement.

The two leaders said that although the two organizations represent very different demographics, they had a common perspective on the four key issues.

Speaking about the proposed constitutional reform, Boyner said both DISK and TÜSIAD supported a new Constitution that would help Turkey attain Western standards in democracy.

“Both organizations agree on making a call to politicians to continue the discussions on a healthy reconciliation platform,” Boyner said, adding that they considered democratization a strong antidote to terrorism.

Both TÜSIAD and DISK agreed that the organizations could collaborate on the unemployment problem and Turkey’s economic development.

“We also think our organizations could work together in supporting regional development and eliminating developmental inequality between regions,” Boyner said, adding that although they had not yet determined a schedule for the coming study, they were planning to start “immediately.”

Çelebi also said they agreed on many significant problems in the country despite their different views on many subjects.

“If we, representatives of opposing interest groups, can agree on these issues, I think this should set an example for Turkey,” Çelebi said, adding that one should not turn a good idea down just because it “came from the bosses.”