Business Diplomat: The Envoy and the Vanguard

This interview is conducted with Prof. Dr. Birol Mercan, Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, Faculty of Political Science, Necmettin Erbakan University, who is among Turkey’s forward-looking academics engaged in international work with young people. Prof. Dr. Mercan conducts academic research in areas including economic theory, regional economics, industrial economics, competition, innovation, social capital, and economic growth. In addition to his academic work, he places particular importance on providing young people with international experience and developing academic cooperation with different countries.

Introduction

The concept of Business Diplomat is usually described in terms of adaptation, courtesy and measure. Yet entrepreneurship is also ambition, courage and the will to win. How do these two sides stand together? In this part of its interview series, Business Diplomat presents an answer that explains the concept through two strong images taken from history: the envoy who presents letters of credence, and the akıncı, the vanguard rider who is first to enter new horizons.

What does the concept of Business Diplomat evoke for you?

"The concept of Business Diplomat brings to my mind the long-lasting relationships that an international entrepreneur builds in the country where they invest or provide services. By long-lasting relationships I mean the achievement of sustaining mutual trust. As is well known, throughout history foreign envoys too, in the country they first go to, begin by presenting a letter of credence to the leader of the host country. Therefore any businessperson is, first of all, an envoy who inspires trust for the other side, while from their own side they are, to use an old expression, an akıncı. So I can describe the concept as, on the one hand, respect for the values of the country where you do business, and on the other, the art of managing the entrepreneur's profit motive and ambition."

Business Diplomat commentary

This answer sets out the two faces of the business diplomat honestly and defines the concept as the balance between them. Its originality lies in not hiding ambition but treating it as a force that has to be managed.

The measure: trust that lasts. The answer defines the concept through long-lasting relationships, not a single deal, and explains what that means: the achievement of sustaining mutual trust. The word "achievement" is apt. Winning trust once is relatively easy; keeping it over years, through hard periods and moments when interests diverge, is the real mastery. For an entrepreneur investing in a foreign country, this means being a sought-after partner at the end of the tenth year more than signing the first contract.

The letter of credence. The historical comparison is well chosen. On taking up a post, an ambassador presents letters of credence to the host head of state and only then gains the authority to speak for their country. In diplomacy the first step is trust, not business. A businessperson carries no official letter but faces the same test. Their credentials are their reputation, their references, keeping their first promise and how they conduct themselves at the first meeting. Real business does not begin until the other side accepts that "letter".

An envoy to the other side, a vanguard for their own. The most striking part of the answer is this double definition. Historically the akıncı were the forward riders who went ahead of the army and were first to enter unknown lands. An entrepreneur is the same for their own company and country: the first to explore a new market, the first to take the risk, the one who opens the way for those who follow. In the eyes of the host country, that same person is an envoy who inspires trust. The two roles do not exclude each other. Without the vanguard's courage no new market is entered; without the envoy's standing no one stays in it.

The art of managing ambition. The definition the answer arrives at balances two elements: respect for the values of the country where business is done, and the entrepreneur's management of their own profit motive and ambition. The profit motive is not condemned here. Ambition is the energy that makes enterprise possible. Left unchecked, though, it uses up trust for short-term gain and makes the entrepreneur unwelcome in that country. The verb "managing" is therefore well chosen: ambition is not suppressed; it is directed. The word "art" says there is no formula for this, only a balance that has to be struck afresh in every country and every situation.

Respect is the condition of staying. Respect for values appears in the answer not as a matter of politeness but as the condition of a long-lasting relationship. An entrepreneur who takes account of the culture, law and social sensitivities of the country they invest in stops being a guest there and becomes an accepted partner.

The role of Business Diplomat. The platform's mission is to give young people experience, bring a diplomatic order to the business world, and benefit states by revitalising the economy. This answer captures the balance within that mission. Revitalising the economy calls for the spirit of the vanguard; diplomatic order calls for the dignity of the envoy. Business Diplomat aims to give young entrepreneurs the skills of building trust and managing ambition without blunting their courage.

Conclusion

A business diplomat is an envoy who inspires trust in the country they go to and, for their own side, a vanguard who opens the way to new markets. Their success is measured by the ability to sustain mutual trust over the years. The way to do this is to respect the values of the country where they do business and to manage their own profit motive with skill. Business Diplomat aims to develop this profile, which joins courage with reputation.