America-Turkey Chamber of Commerce difference: "Why are we compelled?"

As trade‑chamber elections approach in Turkey, new lists are being prepared, professional groups are coming together, and campaign work is gaining momentum. Candidates seek support without dropping the issues of business and artisans from their discourse, and after the elections, administrations are determined and a new term begins. Ayhan Özmekik, who has been engaged in commercial activities in the United States for about 20 years, evaluates this system from a different angle. Özmekik argues that the American trade‑chamber model differs from Turkey at a fundamental point: that membership is voluntary.

Membership in a trade chamber is not mandatory in America.

According to its own definition, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce operates as a voluntary business organization created to support the local economy and enterprises. Members can consist of businesses, institutions, and individuals.

Participation in local chambers is also left to the discretion of businesses. In the current content of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, membership is associated with services such as networking, business connections, visibility, training, and advocacy. Membership levels and fees vary by chamber.

Based on his roughly 20 years of U.S. experience, Özmekik states that a business does not need to be a member of a trade chamber to operate.

Companies can begin operations by establishing the firm, handling tax matters, obtaining municipal permits, meeting health and fire safety requirements, and fulfilling insurance and employee obligations.

Membership in the chamber of commerce, however, emerges as a separate choice from these official procedures.

The chamber explains why a business should become a member.

According to Özmekik, the voluntary membership system directs chambers of commerce to provide services directly to businesses.

A chamber seeks to attract members with services such as bringing businesses together, creating new customer connections, organizing training, representing the business world before local authorities, and increasing business visibility.

The ABD Chamber of Commerce also bases its membership system on local and state-level chambers. Its current programs include networking, policy meetings, training, advocacy, and various resources for businesses within the scope of membership services.

In this model, a business owner continues their membership if they believe the service they receive holds value for them personally.

The point Özmekik highlights emerges here: the continuation of membership becomes directly tied to the benefit the chamber offers to the business.

Trade continues even without knowing the chamber president’s name.

Özmekik notes that, despite doing business in the United States for years, he does not know the presidents of many local chambers.

Expressing that this does not pose an obstacle to the continuation of commercial activities, Özmekik argues that in the United States the primary function of chambers is not to manage businesses’ daily commercial operations but to provide services and representation to their members.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s own guide also states that local chambers are run by their members, that members elect the board of directors, and that chambers can operate in areas such as economic development, business representation, public relations, and education.

Turkey imposes registration and membership fee obligations.

In Turkey, the system works differently.

In Article 24 of the 5174-numbered Turkish Chamber and Association Union and the Chamber and Association Law, it is stated that a registration fee must be paid at the time of registration and an annual fee must be paid each year.

In chamber elections, professional committees, assembly members, and administrations are determined.

Özmekik argues that this structure should be re-evaluated from a business perspective and shifts the discussion to the following question:

If the service offered by an institution is truly valuable, why should membership be mandatory?

The shopkeepers are not indifferent; they are worried about making a living.

Özmekik believes that the view that merchants in Turkey are indifferent to chamber elections also needs to be reconsidered.

According to him, the daily problems of small business owners revolve around taxes, rent, credit, personnel costs, and bureaucratic procedures.

Therefore, he argues that representatives seeking votes during the election period must also provide solutions to the problems businesses face after the election.

Özmekik also stresses that all chambers of commerce should not be evaluated in the same way. He acknowledges that there are chambers that support exporters, organize training, guide investors, and contribute to the local economy.

In his view, what needs to be debated is the system itself, not the performance of individuals.

If the obligation disappears, true performance will emerge.

Özmekik says that the technological transformation also requires a rethinking of the functions of chambers of commerce.

Highlighting that many processes—from company formation to tax procedures and various commercial documents—have moved to an electronic environment, Özmekik says that chambers must produce more tangible benefits for businesses.

He argues that access to finance, less bureaucracy, new market connections, training, and strong representation mechanisms are more important for business owners.

I’m not saying the chambers of commerce should be shut down

Özmekik specifically notes that his assessment does not mean the chambers of commerce should be closed.

On the contrary, he believes chambers should bring customers to businesses, create export connections, facilitate access to finance, provide training, and represent the business world strongly before public institutions.

But he argues that, in exchange, membership must be voluntary.

According to Özmekik, if the business owner believes he is receiving compensation for the service he receives, he should continue his membership; if he does not see any benefit, he should be able to quit the association.

He thinks this approach will compel trade chambers to provide more value to their members.

Last question: Why volunteer in America?

As local elections in Turkey approach, the debate is largely being conducted around the question "Who will be the mayor?"

Özmekik, however, argues that the question needs to be framed differently:

If you don’t need a chamber of commerce to do business in America, why are we obliged in Turkey?

This question not only opens the door to a broader debate about how the relationship between business and representative organizations should be structured, far beyond the legal structures of chambers of commerce in the two countries, but also raises the question of why we are obliged in Turkey when we are not in America.

The entirety of Ayhan Özmekik's assessment is as follows:

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Volunteer in America, compulsory in Turkey!/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%"Trade chamber elections are approaching in Turkey./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Lists will again be prepared, groups will be formed, meals will be served. Strenuous struggles will take place to enter professional committees. Some will say 'We will be the voice of the business world', others will roam with the slogan 'We stand by our tradespeople'./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Elections will end…/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The winners will have their photos taken, will sit in their positions, and will accept congratulations./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">So what will change in the lives of the shopkeepers?/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">They will again pay their taxes themselves. They will again seek credit themselves. They will again fight alone against high rent, staff shortages, and bureaucracy./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">He will probably remember his room when the next fee notice arrives./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">I have been living and doing business in America for nearly twenty years. I founded businesses, employed workers; I have worked directly with municipalities, state agencies, banks, and health and fire departments./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">I did not learn the American system from books. I learned it by living in the business's kitchen, behind the counter, and in the face of audits./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">When you open a restaurant, cafe, market, or any other business here, no one will tell you:/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">“You won’t say 'First you will register with the chamber of commerce, then you will pay membership fees every year'.”/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">You establish your company in the state. You obtain your tax number. You make the necessary applications to the municipality, health department, and fire department. You arrange insurance, register your employees, and open your business./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">While doing all of this, you don't have to be a member of any chamber of commerce./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">If you wish, you can become a member./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">If you don't want to, you won't be able to./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">Your trade will continue, and your company will operate. No penalty will be imposed, your documents will not be cancelled, nor will your right to trade be taken away./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Because in America, the chamber of commerce is not the master of the business. It is a volunteer organization that wants to serve the business./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The real difference starts exactly here:/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">In America, a room is indispensable for a member to stay afloat. The business owner, however, does not need a room to conduct trade./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\"\">Therefore the room must convince you./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\"\">They come to your door and say, 'Let us introduce you to local businesses, promote you, invite you to our meetings, represent you before local authorities.'/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">If you also think the offered service will be useful to you, you become a member and pay your fee. If you don't see any benefit, you won't renew your membership next year./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">The matter is that simple./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">The room only arranges meals, cuts ribbons, takes photos, and if it distributes titles to a few people, it loses members. Either it corrects itself, shrinks, or loses its influence over time./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">In other words, the market in America regulates not only companies but also chambers of commerce./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In Turkey, the situation is the complete opposite./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Even if Oda is successful or not, it largely preserves its income. Even if the business owner is dissatisfied with the service, they cannot step outside the system. Membership is mandatory, fees are mandatory; but there is no comparable requirement for the quality of the service./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Bunun adı hizmet değil, mecburiyettir./span>

(No output)span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\"">We don't know the chamber president but trade continues/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\"">If you ask many business owners in America for the name of the local chamber of commerce president, they cannot answer./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">As someone who has been doing business here for twenty years, I don't know who many chamber presidents are./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\"\">So, is trade stopping?/span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\"\">No./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">Companies are being founded, factories are producing, restaurants are opening, entrepreneurs are investing, and one of the world's largest economies continues to operate./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%"span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Because in America the presidency of a chamber is not considered a political office or a protocol level. The value of a chamber president is measured not by how many politicians he photographs with, but by how much benefit he provides to his members./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%"span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">There is no mandatory hierarchy among local chambers, state chambers and the US Chamber of Commerce in the way it exists in Turkey. Each local chamber operates within its own structure. Relations with the higher bodies are mostly based on voluntarism./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">So you do not see a central trade chamber election system in America that lasts months, consumes huge budgets, and resembles national politics./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">In Turkey, however, room elections sometimes are more exciting than municipal elections./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">Lists, groups, delegates, backstage, food…/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">A fierce struggle stretching from membership in the professional committee to membership in parliament, then to the board of directors and the presidency./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">People inevitably ask:/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">If the sole purpose of these authorities is to serve merchants, why is such a big fight being waged?/span>

span style="font-size:11pt>"span style="line-height:115%>"span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Everyone pays the aid, who sees the profit?/span>

span style="font-size:11pt>"span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Businesses engaged in certain commercial activities in Turkey are required to register with chambers and pay membership fees under Law No. 5174./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Chamber elections are held every four years under judicial supervision. Professional committees, council members, and administrations are determined./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\"span style=\"line-height:115%\"span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">There is a democratic representation system on paper./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\"span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">But let's go out onto the street and ask the shopkeepers:/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Do you know how many people belong to each profession group?/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">How many people know who represents them on the committee?/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">How many business owners can count the services they receive in return for paying the fee?/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">How many small traders are truly being resolved by the tax, rent, credit, personnel, and bureaucracy problem room?/span>

<span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">The answer to these questions is not straightforward./span>

(No output)span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">Later, the question is asked, 'Why are merchants not showing interest in the chamber elections?'/span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">Merchants are not indifferent./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt>"span style=\"line-height:115%>"span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">Shopkeepers are in distress.\"/span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt>"span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">People naturally do not show interest in a structure that does not touch their daily lives or solve their problems. How many times do door‑to‑door voters who ask for votes during election time knock on the same shopkeeper’s door after the election is over?/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">This is the real question that should be asked./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Of course, I'm not saying that all chambers are bad or that all managers are not working. There are certainly chambers that support exporters, organize training, guide investors, and contribute to their city./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">However, the issue is not whether people are good or bad./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The issue is the system itself./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">If an institution is truly functioning well, why would you feel the need for mandatory membership?/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Let the compulsion subside, let the truth come to light/span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Trade chambers may have undertaken important roles in the past./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">In periods when the internet was absent, state records were not digitized, and accessing commercial information was difficult, these institutions may have been needed./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">But today, many processes from company registrations to tax procedures, from operational documents to export information can be carried out electronically./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">In an era where e‑Government, digital tax offices, and online registration systems exist, issuing a few documents does not make chambers of commerce indispensable./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">A business owner does not need a new grant, but needs suitable financing./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">Not to protocol talks, but a need for less bureaucracy./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\">Not to be remembered during the election period, but a need for a strong representation that will stand by you when times get tough.(empty output)

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">I do not support the closure of the trade offices./span>

(empty output)span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\"\">Let those who wish continue on the chamber's path. Let it bring customers to its members, open doors to exports, make suitable credit agreements with banks, provide training, and defend the rights of the business world before the state./span>

span style=\"font-size:11pt\">span style=\"line-height:115%\">span style=\"font-family:Calibri,\"sans-serif\"\">However, membership should be voluntary./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">(no output)Aid should be voluntary./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">If the business owner believes he is getting his money's worth, let him join. If he does not, let him leave./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Then we will all see together which room really works and which is only a sign, a rank, and protocol./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">America's system is not flawless. There are rooms that remain ineffective here as well. However, a business owner in America does not have to finance a room they find ineffective./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">The businessperson in Turkey should have the same right./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Because a useful institution does not fear volunteering./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">An institution that adds value to its members does not require mandatory contributions./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">Only an institution that can survive solely on legal obligations must discuss not its managers but its very reason for being./span>

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">As room elections approach in Turkey, everyone asks “Who will be the president?”/span>

(No output)span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">My question is actually much simpler:(empty output)

span style="font-size:11pt">span style="line-height:115%">span style="font-family:Calibri,"sans-serif"">If there's no need for a chamber of commerce to do business in America, why are we compelled in Turkey?/span>