What Does Turkey-China Business Summit in Ankara Tell?

A summit that brought the Turkish and Chinese businessmen together in Ankara may be more pomp than substance. But the diversity of attendants tell about the mood in Turkey.

Dogu Perincek, Turkey’s leading anti-NATO and anti-American crusader, managed to assemble a diverse group of businessmen from Turkey and China in Ankara in an attempt to contemplate ways to advance trade and joint industrial production between two countries against Western capitalist economies. The business summit held in Green Park Ankara hotel on Wednesday created nothing little than a bit fanfare in media, but it was important from many points of view.

It may even not qualify for our immediate attention amidst more urgent matters in the political domain. But it was who joined the summit rather than the summit itself reveals more about the change of heart among pro-government businessmen about their view of the world affairs and the future of Turkey’s economic orientation as the balance of power shifts toward East Asia.

Alongside Perincek, who throughout his whole life never masked his disdain for Western capitalism and Turkey’s place in its political structure, two key figures saw no scruples in taking part in the summit titled “Turkey-China Cooperation For Breakthrough in Production.” Ethem Sancak, a former Marxist-turned-entrepreneur and a close associate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Murat Ulker, former CEO of Yildiz Holding, the largest conglomerate of business groups in the conservative business community, offered heartfelt support for Perincek’s initiative to explore ways for a closer Turkey-China relationship.

“A new world is in the making. The Atlantic Age is left behind, humanity enters Asian Age,” Perincek said, elaborating on the contours of an emerging change in world politics.

“As our industrialists frequently emphasized, the gravity of center in the world economy and world politics shifts to Asia. The production is in Asia. The continent of technological innovation and inventions is now Asia,” he said in an unshaken conviction.