The Ordinary General Assembly meeting of the Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (TÜSİAD) was held in Istanbul today. The opening speeches of the meeting were made by TÜSİAD High Advisory Council President Ömer Aras and TÜSİAD Chairman of the Board of Directors Orhan Turan.
TÜSİAD Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors Ozan Diren became the new chairman. Diren will serve in the 2026-2027 period.
Who is Ozan Diren?
Diren Holding Board Member and DİMES CEO Ozan Diren became the Chairman of TÜSİAD Board of Directors as of January 15, 2026.
Diren started his career at DİMES while he was still at university and served in various positions within the company. He graduated from ITU Industrial Engineering in 1997. He completed his master’s degree in marketing at the University of Hartford in the USA in 1999. Then he graduated from Istanbul University Business Economics Institute’s Finance Specialization Program.
Diren had also been serving as TÜSİAD Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2024.
Turan: I am a child of the Republic
Turan, who handed over his duty today, said in his speech, “Being at this podium does not only mean the completion of a task, but also requires rethinking the meaning of an assumed responsibility, an effort given and a shared journey,” and pointed out that the position he assumed was a duty that included responsibility towards the country. Turan said, “I am a child of the Republic. I grew up with the means of a modest family. I, too, had a Republic, just like millions of children.” Turan said that the Republic has a vision of equal opportunity and added that the business world has the responsibility to think, discuss and show direction. Emphasizing that TÜSİAD works for the future, Turan also stated that they focus on expanding their perspectives as the world changes rapidly.
He finished his speech with lines from Nazım Hikmet
At the end of his speech, Turan said, “The most important lesson that Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Republic taught us is this: No gain is permanent. It can only be achieved with effort, intelligence and responsibility. Today, I am leaving a duty, not a responsibility,” and concluded his words as follows:
“I would like to end this speech with a voice that reminds us of hope, with the lines of Nazım Hikmet. Today is his 124th birthday. ‘Living alone and free like a tree, and brotherly like a forest.’
These verses are not just a call to hope, but an invitation to responsibility. This country belongs to all of us. This country is ours. This country will rise on the shoulders of those who think, produce and take responsibility. I am leaving office today, but I am not abandoning this invitation, this responsibility. We will continue to think for Türkiye together. Because this country is ours.”
It was stated that the election of the full and substitute members of the Supreme Advisory Council Presidential Council, Board of Directors, Auditing Board, and Board of Honor will also be held at the Board. The names expected to be on the main list of TÜSİAD Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors Ozan Diren, who is the only candidate to replace Turan, are as follows:
Meltem Akol, Elif Çoban, Fatih Kemal Ebiçlioğlu, Azmi Gümüşoğlu, Aslıhan Güreşçier, Perihan İnci, Şerafettin Karakış, Ömer Mert, İbrahim İzzet Özilhan, Ahu Serter, Feyyaz Ünal.
Source: Newspaper Oxygen
