Stating that they would elevate Turkey’s trade relations and vision in the United States, Ph.D. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, who has been re-elected as the Chairman of TABA, said that Turkey needed a dynamic Prime Minister. 

Ph.D. Zeynel Abidin Erdem has been re-elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish-American Businessmen Association (TABA). Erdem said that trade relations between Turkey and the USA would increase and Turkey’s vision in the USA would be elevated, and that they would have a voice in the European Union through their efforts in the new period. In his speech he delivered at the General Assembly, Erdem further said that it is now necessary to clear the way of 70 million Turkish people and that it would only be possible with a dynamic Prime Minister. 

ONLY ONE CANDIDATE FOR ELECTION 

The election held at the General Assembly organized at the Istanbul Conrad Hotel was done with a single list under the presidency of Zeynel Abidin Erdem. 183 out of total of 186 members who were present at the General Assembly voted. As a result of the elections with total of 178 valid votes, Ph.D. Zeynel Abidin Erdem has been re-elected as the Chairman, and Arzuhan Yalçındağ, Adnan Nas, Erdal Kamışlı, Tamer Bozoklar have been elected as the deputy chairmen. The other names elected to the Board of Directors following the elections, in which Nuri Çolakoğlu undertook the task of General Secretary, are “Ferit ahenk, Paul HART, hasan Çelebican, George Alsop, Nuri Çolakoğlu, Savaş Düvenci, Joep Bakx, Rainer Bürkle, Aslan Adıgüzel, Alican Ulusoy, Akif Işık, Ayşegül Dora, Oğuz Terzioğlu, Erkan Dereli, Tevfik Gür, Gülsüm Azeri, Muzaffer Aslan, Muhittin Demir, Ahmet Hamarat, Süleyman Karabucak, Recep Atakaş, Nusret Cömert, Can Acarlar, Mike Robbins, Ümit Tunçağ, Kürşat Başkırt, Sedat Erikoğlu.”, and " Faruk Sabuncu, Ömer Akat ve Mehmet Öztosun ” have been elected to the Auditing Commission. 

Stating that he was very happy for he had been re-elected, Erdem thanked his friends at TABA. Erdem stated that their endeavors in the new period would primarily focus on increasing the trade relations between Turkey and the USA, improving Turkey’s vision in the USA, becoming a Non-Governmental Organization that has a voice in the EU, attracting foreign capital to be able to improve the economic conditions, and accelerating the privatization operations. Erdem promised to the members that he would meet his commitments. 

I THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE 

Saying that Turkey was in the sickbed, Erdem added, “Instead of this sickbed, we need a Prime Minister who is strong, productive, able to travel much and get theses accepted. However, we are face to face with Mr. Ecevit, who is even unable to participate in meetings but who had ensured important consensus and ensured peace and achieved positive political consequences at the time.

We thank him for all his activities in the past, but it is now necessary to clear the way of 70 million people. The Prime Minister of the Turkish nation should run around the world with at least 200-300 young and dynamic businessmen. The difference can only be made up in that way.”