Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The statement reads as follows:

“The Joint Board Meeting of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) held with our Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mr. Mehmet Şimşek, on January 6, 2026, took place in a cordial atmosphere, in a question-and-answer format, as usual.

During the approximately five-hour closed-door meeting, the difficulties and demands of the real sector were discussed. Our Minister also provided his assessments on the topics raised and shared information about the 2026 disinflation program.

Of course, it is only natural for participants to raise different views on the topics and make comments during the meeting. What is important is the effective operation of the consultation mechanism between the public and private sectors. This meeting was a fine example of this.

Respectfully announced to the public.”

- A statement was also issued by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance also responded to allegations regarding the Joint Board Meeting of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), which was attended by Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek. In the ministry’s statement, it requested that false news circulated under the guise of “behind-the-scenes information” without citing sources not be given credence.

The Ministry of Treasury and Finance’s statement said, “Our Minister of Treasury and Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, attended TOBB’s Joint Board Meeting on January 6 as a guest of honor. The meeting, which lasted approximately 5 hours and was closed to the press, was held in a cordial atmosphere with representatives of the business world in a question-and-answer format.”

The statement pointed out that, as evident from the duration of the meeting, there was no problematic atmosphere as portrayed in the public sphere, noting the following:

“Otherwise, the meeting could not have lasted so long. In this context, it is significant that the closed-door meeting was reported days later with the deliberate attempt to shape public perception, disregarding the 5W1H rule, without contacting us, and with strange accusations and gossip-style reporting. We strongly urge the public not to give credence to false news circulated under the guise of ‘behind-the-scenes’ information without citing sources, and to be cautious against such attempts to manipulate public opinion.”