Turkish business world stands strong against terror

After the vicious terrorist attack on İstiklal Avenue in Istanbul, the country's economy administration and the business world condemned the attack. Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD) President Nail Olpak called on everyone to act prudently and with common sense during these times when terrorist attacks have increased to disturb Turkey's growth. "The aim of terror is to frighten people. However, our national anthem starts: ‘Don't be afraid.' So we aren't scared. Turkey will not give in to terror. Terror will give in to Turkey," Olpak said. Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu issued a statement and said these attacks on Turkey's unity and solidarity will not succeed and that they will not allow terror to damage peace and unity and destroy the belief the Turkish people have in their future. "We will overcome this pain by standing as one against terror as a nation," Hisarcıklıoğlu said.

Mehmet Büyükekşi, the president of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), said that while these attacks are aimed at creating panic and chaos, the ties in the whole nation would become stronger. The president of the Istanbul Commodity Exchange, Ali Kopuz, said that terrorists should not forget that Turkey won the Battle of Gallipoli and even though it is the target of terrorist attacks and its aim is to damage the state, they will cause people to unite and stand with the state. The president of the Federation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen, Bendevi Palandöken, said that those who try to create chaos would regret it.

The deputy prime minister in charge of the economy, Mehmet Şimşek, who is in Nizip, said that the aim of terror is to ruin Turkey's stability and that it tried to warn Turkey against Ankara's stance against the war in Syria. "Terror will never succeed because Turkey is a strong country," Şimşek said.

Economy Minister Mustafa Elitaş said that terrorists are trying to scare Turkey, suppress people and use social media as an advertising tool.