Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu made assessments according to the survey done prior to the congress. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they have sounded out the Turkish Diaspora, saying, “We see that the self-confidence of the Diaspora has increased. Turkey’s increasing power, foreign policy advances, increased economic area of influence and our efforts to organize the Diaspora such as the World Turkish Business Council have begun to bear fruit. However, I think that the Diaspora has yet to reach the power it deserves. Of course, these things don’t happen right away. After all ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ What is important is to build a sturdy foundation and keep working.”

- Minister of European Union and Chief Negotiator Bağış

Minister of European Union and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bağış, addressing the Turkish entrepreneurs abroad, said, “The Africans have a beautiful saying: As long as the lions do not tell their stories, we’ll hear a lot more hunter stories. The lions of Turkey are recounting stories of Turkey all over the world. We used to listen to them; now, thanks to you, they are listening to us.”

Bağış said that he had worked in foreign lands for 17 years and worked in Turkish associations.

Saying that he can guess how proud the Turkish citizens abroad feel with the “rising star Turkey” concept, Bağış spoke: “We used to hesitate when showing our passports at customs. Now, we can proudly display our Turkish Republic passports. This is the reflection of Turkey’s rising power on its every citizen.”

Drawing attention to terror as the most significant problem Turkey now faces, Bağış said, “We want our allies, especially those in Europe to give more support against terror. We have 5 million brothers and sisters living in Europe. This number is more numerous than many European populations. I request that you bring this up with the European politicians you’ve elected and pay the salaries for with your taxes.”

- Minister of Finance Şimşek

The Minister of Finance, Mehmet Şimşek, stated that the macro-economic macro-finance foundations of Turkey were solid, saying, “Therefore, the problems in the EU will of course affect the Turkish economy to a degree but will cause no lasting damage.”

Şimşek stated that they aim to increase competitive power, employment and investment incentives, decrease regional development differences and implement a more effective taxation system while executing reforms and said that tax predictability and stability were very important and would be prioritized in the coming term.

- Food Agriculture and Livestock Minister Eker

Food, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Mehdi Eker stated that he would be making an announcement that would please the business world.

Minister Eker said, “Wholesale meat VAT was 8%, it has been decided to make this 1%.  In your presence, I’d like to thank Treasury Minister Mehmet Şimşek for his support. We owe much to our Prime Minister for his approval. This was decided during the Ministers’ Council last Monday. It was the Prime Minister’s directive that this was implemented in food so I wanted to share it with you.”

- Minister of Economy Zafer Çağlayan

Minister of Economy Zafer Çağlayan said, “Thanks be to Allah, we have started acquiring companies in Europe and becoming partners.”

Çağlayan stated that the Ministry of Economy stands beside every businessman, that the consultants of commerce have changed the way they operate, acting like the salespersons of the companies of the regions they work in.

Çağlayan, saying that the number of commerce consultants has been increased to 250 and that this number would increase in the coming term, stated that all problems faced by the businessmen abroad would be solved by the commerce consultants.

- Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı

Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı stated that the Simplified Customs Route implementation with Russia has been facing difficulties as a result of difference in views.

Answer a question regarding what has been done with facilitating the customs processes regarding exports from TRNC to Turkey, Yazıcı said, “We are continuing to work to make these trade relations with the TRNC more meaningful in 2012.”

- Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz

The Minister of Development, Cevdet Yılmaz, stated that they are hoping to finalize work regarding incentives, “We accomplished it 2009. With various changes to be implemented this year, we will make it more effective.”

Yılmaz stated that they work together with the Ministry of Economy regarding incentives and went on: “The Incentive Application Directorate used to be a part of the Undersecretariat of the Treasury. As a result of the latest regulations we have enacted, it has been transferred to the Ministry of Economy. We are looking closely at the regional aspect of the work, preparing socio-economic development indexes and making suggestions to various sectors.

- Science, Industry and Technology Minister Ergün

Science, Industry and Technology Minister Ergün stated that, just as they have brought together Turkish businessmen from all over the world, they will be bring together the Turkish scientists of the world together starting in 2012.

Ergün said, in response to a question regarding the production of a native automobile, that Turkey has 50 years of experience in the automotive sector and that Turkey has a very strong ancillary industry as well as a technological accretion.

Stating that today, the production of a domestic automobile has also entered the agenda of the government after 50 years, Ergün said that work has begun to present a domestically produced automobile internally and globally in the coming term.
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