“The 22nd Ordinary General Assembly of the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) took place on April 27, 2013, at the Haliç Congress Center with the participation of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In addition to Prime Minister Erdoğan, the General Assembly was attended by the Minister of Economy, Zafer Çağlayan, the Minister of Customs and Trade, Hayati Yazıcı, LASİAD Secretary General Şerafettin Yüzüak, and many other invitees.
Speaking at the General Assembly, MÜSİAD President Nail Olpak expressed full support for the resolution process, stating, “We see the resolution process, which holds a special place among the significant reforms implemented in the last 10 years, as a historical responsibility bestowed upon us by our civilization. The resolution process is a development that will accelerate Turkey’s economic progress. It means removing the shackles for the sake of the future and prosperity.”
Prime Minister Erdoğan, in his speech at the opening of the 22nd Ordinary General Assembly, stated that MÜSİAD, both as a civil society organization and with all its individual members, has brought a new breath and atmosphere to the Turkish economy. Erdoğan emphasized that MÜSİAD introduced the concept of consensus to the Turkish economy and crowned it with the concept of abundance. He praised MÜSİAD for not following the path of ruthless capitalism, cutthroat competition, and an understanding that views people as predators of each other but rather following the path of consensus, abundance, asceticism, and piety.
Erdoğan stated that he knows and understands MÜSİAD very well and continued his speech by saying, “For MÜSİAD, a person is not just a customer, consumer, or employee, but above all, a human being, the noblest of creatures. For MÜSİAD, the country is not just a large factory, a big store, or a consumption arena but, first and foremost, the blessed homeland soil irrigated with the blood of our martyrs. For MÜSİAD, the nation is not just a source of money, a source of labor, or a mass of labor, but a community of brothers who carry the glorious heritage of history and ancestors, united in fate and looking at the same horizon. What makes MÜSİAD valuable for Turkey is its unique perspective on the economy, economics, and business.”
After his speech, MÜSİAD President Nail Olpak presented a Hilye-i Şerif, describing the characteristics of Prophet Muhammad, created by the calligrapher Ahmet Bursalı, to Prime Minister Erdoğan.”
