IKV Board of Directors Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu and IKV delegation visited ISTIB Board of Directors Chairman Ali Kopuz on 15 December 2015. During the visit, it was agreed to strengthen relations between IKV and ISTIB which is one of IKV’s trustee organizations and to propose joint initiatives. 

During the meeting, IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu stressed the importance given by IKV to the EU accession process and Turkey’s alignment with EU norms which are contributing to the country’s socio-economic development. IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, who took office at the occasion of the 53^rd General Assembly which was held on 6 July 2015, expressed his wish in IKV Board of Directors cooperating closely with all trustee and supporter organizations. In that context, he reiterated that relations with trustee organizations would be strengthened in the upcoming period. As IKV, Zeytinoğlu also reminded that a special importance is given to enhance relations with chambers and stock exchanges which are members of TOBB and added that within that framework, informative seminars on EU issues would be held in various parts of Turkey in 2016.

ISTIB Chairman Ali Kopuz conveyed his thanks to IKV Chairman for his visit and explained that as ISTIB they are supporting IKV’s activities. Furthermore, Kopuz referred to the key importance of the EU accession process from the perspective of the business world and gave information regarding ISTIB activities in the recent period. As TOBB EU Harmonization Committee Chairman, Kopuz indicated that he is following very closely the latest developments in Turkey’s EU accession process and further underscored the utmost importance of cooperation in readmission and the refugee crisis.

During the visit, IKV and ISTIB agreed that common activities could be realised especially in the context of the process of the revision of the Customs Union in issues such as the possible effects of such a process in the agriculture sector. Following the meeting, IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu offered ISTIB Chairman Ali Kopuz a ceramic plaquet at the occasion of IKV’s 50^th anniversary. On the other hand, ISTIB Chairman offered IKV Chairman a prestigious publication regarding Istanbul Commodity Exchange’s 1924-2014 history.

IKV Board of Directors Ayhan Zeytinoğlu was accompanied by Vice-Chairmen Prof. Haluk Kabaalioğlu and Zeynep Bodur Okyay, Member of the Steering Committee and Accounting Member of Board of Directors and Adana Chamber of Commerce Atilla Menevşe, Member of the Steering Committee Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, Member of the Board of Directors and Istanbul Commodity Exchanges Vice-Chairman İlhan Koyunseven, Members of the Board of Directors İlhan Soylu, Sedat Zincirkıran, Audit Committee Member Mustafa İçöz, Secretary-General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas, Deputy Secretary-General and Research Director Melih Özsöz and TOBB EU Department researcher Senem Yavaş. ISTIB Members of Board of Directors Mustafa Kamar and Erkan Özefe along with Secretary-General Ali Yavuz Yiğit were also present during the meeting.