Meeting between EESC president and the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey

The President of the European Economic and Social Committee, George Dassis met on 26 September with a delegation of the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey (DEİK), led by President Ömer Cihad Vardan. Founded in 1986,  DEİK represents the private sector and business in Turkey and works for the promotion of foreign trade and Turkish investment relations in close cooperation  with the Ministry of Finance.

The representatives of DEİK expressed their views on the integration process of Turkey to the EU and also enlarged on the attempted coup of July 15^th, 2016  stressing that the business world and the Turkish people defended democracy.

Thanking the DEIK delegation, the EESC President referred to efforts to revamp the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Committee, which is going through a period of stagnation. President Dassis also  expressed satisfaction for the prevention of the coup attempt in Turkey, emphasizing that in any case the fundamental freedoms and rights guaranteed by the EU should be safeguarded.

Finally, he expressed the hope that the coup attempt will not be used as a pretext to undermine the rule of law, and conveyed the Committee's position regarding the reopening of Turkey's accession process.