TUSIAD Head urges nonpartisan approach to tackle terrorism

Speaking at a meeting on business's role in regional development in the Black Sea province of Trabzon yesterday, Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Chairwoman Umit Boyner called for a nonpartisan stance to draw up a firm roadmap to eliminate terrorism. "Everyone must do their part, and the ruling and opposition parties must immediately put into effect an irrevocable course of action based on a single discourse and supra-political party understanding," she said, warning against delaying such an effort. She also called for more steps to make it possible for "independent and voluntary representation institutions" to participate in decision-making and policy-setting processes at the central and local administrative levels for regional development studies. Boyner said the involvement of individuals and private entities in decision-making processes is a hallmark of developed societies. "In a modern society, citizens are important only for their rights and responsibilities but for their active participation in solving social problems as well as their establishment of democratic civilian monitoring and supervision mechanisms," she argued.