Esin Güral Argat: Turkey Stands At The Very Center Of The New World Order
Organized by Oksijen Newspaper, the Oksijen Future Forum was held at ParibuArt with Gürok Group as its platinum sponsor. Bringing together leading figures from the business world, academia, and civil society, the forum hosted numerous sessions addressing the transformation across sectors such as leadership, sustainable growth, e-commerce and finance, technology, work culture, tourism, and automotive.
Within the framework of the forum, curated under the theme “The World Ahead 2026,” Esin Güral Argat, Vice President of the Board of Gürok Group, spoke at the panel titled “New World Order and Leadership,” drawing attention to the fact that the world is passing through a historic threshold.
“We Must Step Out of Our Comfort Zone”
Evaluating the global transformation and Turkey’s position within it, Esin Güral Argat stated:
“History has accelerated; a world order that has lasted for five hundred years is coming to an end. That is why the balances we are familiar with no longer hold. Rules are temporary, alliances are fragile, and standards are becoming obsolete at an unprecedented pace. We are no longer living in a world dominated by strong institutions, lasting alliances, and a predictable international system, but in a much harsher era shaped by competing power blocs, struggles for influence, and temporary partnerships of interest.
From the perspective of the business world, the message is very clear: we must step out of our comfort zone. There is still as much capital in the world as there was yesterday perhaps even more. However, both the sources of capital and the rules of access to it are changing. In this new competitive order, Turkey stands right at the center. We are at the intersection of energy corridors; we are a regional production hub at a time when supply chains are being restructured; and we are one of the few countries with access to both sides of the U.S.– China rivalry. We are the most critical neighbor in the EU’s green transformation and occupy a position that influences power balances across the Middle East Caucasus Black Sea axis.
The new order is shaped by spheres of influence, flexible alliances, and rapidly shifting interests. In fact, this is a terrain where Turkey’s historical reflexes are particularly strong. Therefore, the key question today is not ‘what will happen?’ but rather ‘how will Turkey provide direction, how will it position itself, and how will it create value amid uncertainty?’ The advantage in this era will belong to those who read the pace correctly, manage uncertainty, and are able to build trust.”
“At Gürok, We Adopt an Approach That Anticipates and Shapes Change”
Highlighting that emerging Technologies particularly artificial intelligence are fundamentally transforming business models, and emphasizing the responsibility of the business world in building societal trust, Esin Güral Argat shared Gürok Group’s vision as follows:
“In an age of uncertainty, the scarcest resource is not capital, technology, or natural resources it is trust. People no longer believe in grand promises; they look for consistency. The most trusted actor in society is still the business world. This is not an advantage, but the heaviest responsibility of the new era.
The world no longer follows a linear path; it has evolved into a complex, fast-moving, and multi-layered system. As a result, the traditional ‘predict–plan–execute’ approach is being replaced by a mindset centered on learning, adaptation, and transformation. The most visible face of this transformation is technology. Today, we are still discussing Large Language Models (LLMs), but the real disruption will come with the transition from LLMs to Large Action Models (LAMs). While LLMs interpret text, LAMs make decisions, manage processes, and enable autonomous operations. This is not merely an efficiency move; it means a fundamental rewriting of business models.
We are not only talking about advanced digitalization, but also about fulfilling the requirements of the green transformation and elevating governance standards to the highest level. Yet there is a critical question here: what role will Turkey play in the global economy? For many years, we have been a production hub for our region. In the new competitive landscape, however, production is no longer about capacity it is about design, digital integration, and low-carbon technologies. Turkey’s next step must be to move from being a ‘production hub’ to becoming an ‘integration and transformation hub.’ In other words, not only producing, but also designing, simulating, and integrating artificial intelligence and LAM models into production lines.
That is why the most important question of this era is not ‘what will happen?’ but ‘who will lead the way?’ At Gürok, we provide our own answer to this question. We do not merely adapt to change; we anticipate it and take an active role in shaping it. This is why, in Kütahya, we are not only making economic investments we are also taking responsibility for empowering women, young people, and local communities. Women welders in industry, female forklift operators, women shift supervisors at LAV… For us, these are not just business choices; they are part of our vision for the future.”