Ahmet Karabay
A clash has erupted between the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) and the government—one that is impossible to ignore. To be fair, calling it a “clash” might be misleading. It would be more accurate to call it a lynching campaign against TÜSİAD. The organization has been put on the target board. If you think this campaign will pass like previous attacks, such as Erdoğan’s famous “Hey TÜSİAD!” tirades, you are mistaken. This one is quite different. I will explain it step by step for those who are patient.
TÜSİAD’s General Assembly meeting was held on February 13. The Chairman of the High Advisory Council, Ömer Aras, began his speech by stating, “As a country, our morale is low. We are experiencing a crisis of confidence.” He continued: “In recent weeks, we have been witnessing extraordinary events in political life. Elected mayors are being removed from office and replaced by trustees. A political party leader is first investigated and then arrested under a different pretext.”
Immediately after this speech, the trolls controlled by Fahrettin Altun, Head of the Presidential Communications Directorate, began shouting, “Know your place, TÜSİAD!” It was evident that the order had come from the very top. Soon, ministers, whether relevant or not, began making statements to put TÜSİAD in its place.
Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç fired the first warning shot, signaling that an investigation would be launched against Ömer Aras for saying, “Our morale as a country is low.” The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office then announced that an investigation had been initiated against Aras, citing the following reasons: “Due to his false and misleading statements that could disrupt public peace, and for attempting to influence fair trials and publicly spreading false information, our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has initiated an investigation against TÜSİAD High Advisory Council Chairman Mehmet Ömer Arif Aras.”
THE BUSINESS WORLD’S ROLE IN TURKEY REACHING THIS POINT
International statistics reveal Turkey’s current state—covering areas from freedoms to judicial independence, from income distribution to poverty rankings. Many factors contributed to this situation, including politicians, the judiciary, bureaucracy, and academia. However, if you ask which factor played the biggest role, I have long argued that the business world bears the greatest responsibility.
From day one, Political Islam has used money as a tool to shape the country, and it continues to do so today. The business world has provided and continues to provide the financial leverage for this transformation. TÜSİAD, meanwhile, has refrained from taking a strong stand against the government’s trajectory, as long as it kept making money. Occasionally, it made conscience-driven statements, only to quickly go silent again.
A similar speech to Ömer Aras’s was given by Tuncay Özilhan, then-Chairman of the High Advisory Council, at a meeting on December 7, 2018. Today, Özilhan is one of the “five brave businessmen” behind the TOGG automobile. Back then, he started his speech with “Morale is deteriorating!” and continued with “If bankruptcies begin, things will get even worse.”
WHY WERE SIMILAR STATEMENTS NOT A PROBLEM BEFORE BUT ARE NOW GROUNDS FOR INVESTIGATION?
If someone is physically fit, and another person calls them “fat,” they would probably laugh it off. However, if you say the same thing to someone struggling with obesity, they might take great offense. The residents of Beştepe Palace know very well that there is not a single false statement in Ömer Aras’s speech. What disturbs them is that his words reflect the truth. That is why they want to silence him.
But there is something even more significant. The government no longer believes it needs an organization like TÜSİAD. It thinks it can continue its path with business groups clustered around organizations like MÜSİAD and ASKON, which have been enriched under its rule.
When Erdoğan first came to power, his administration lacked its own cadres, so it temporarily relied on those affiliated with the Gülen Movement. Later, when he believed he had raised his own loyalists, he initiated the conflict with them. Now, using a similar pretext, he is launching a war against TÜSİAD, seizing upon Ömer Aras’s speech as justification.
WHY TÜSİAD IS SPEAKING OUT NOW
For a healthy economy and foreign investment, the separation of powers and an independent judiciary are crucial. However, the primary reason TÜSİAD is raising its voice today is the sweeping new powers granted to the State Supervisory Council (DDK), which were approved by Parliament and published in the Official Gazette on February 4, 2025.
When companies were seized through emergency decrees after the July 15 coup attempt, TÜSİAD remained silent. After all, the targeted businesses belonged to Gülen-affiliated businessmen. Now, under the newly enacted law, the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) has been given extended powers to seize companies for another five years. But this is not just a simple extension.
So what makes this new law different from the previous one?
Previously, even if it was merely a formality, a court order was required. Now, simply establishing “strong suspicion” and initiating an investigation is enough for the TMSF to seize a company or appoint trustees. During this period, TMSF can confiscate and even sell the assets of the targeted companies.
State Supervisory Council (DDK) officials have been granted ‘king-like’ powers. When DDK personnel inspect associations, foundations, cooperatives, and unions, they can seize control and remove management. They can even take over their subsidiaries and affiliates.
For all of this, there is no longer even a need for a court ruling. The government can simply declare “public interest” and take control of an organization or remove its management. DDK personnel can even remove mayors of metropolitan municipalities from office during their inspections.
It seems that the turn for wealth confiscation has now reached TÜSİAD members.
THE ONLY PATH FORWARD FOR TÜSİAD
As former TÜSİAD President Ümit Boyner once said, “TÜSİAD is not a canary-lovers’ association.” TÜSİAD members:
- Represent 4,500 companies
- Conduct 80% of foreign trade (excluding energy)
- Provide 57% of employment (excluding public sector jobs)
- Pay 82% of corporate taxes
- Employ 3,000 staff, volunteers, and consultants conducting research on Turkey and global affairs
At this point, TÜSİAD’s leadership has only one option. If they back down and sacrifice High Advisory Council Chairman Ömer Aras to appease the government, their most prominent members will be picked off one by one. The only viable strategy for TÜSİAD is to gather all its members and collectively recite the segment of Aras’s speech that led to the investigation. Moreover, they should call on the public to do the same.
