Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Stating that this meeting was held in order to promote the activities of TOBB and DEİK, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the things that we learn in university become outdated by the time we are 35 years old and we require education once again.

Expressing that the world changes very rapidly, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Things that didn’t exist 5 years ago become professions and knowledge years on. We need to be educating ourselves, renewing our knowledge every day.”

- The goal is to compete globally

TOBB / DEİK President, stating that an extraordinary change has been taking place in the world during the last 30 years, said that the new goal is to compete, not just within the borders of your city or country, but globally.

Stating that the competition of today is much stronger than yesterday, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “There is extraordinary competition. In a time when information disseminates so rapidly, bringing all points of the compass closer, the competition is fierce. Therefore, having knowledge and opinions are very important.”

- “If we do not enact structural reforms, we will be among the losers”

Stating that during the last century, two important changes have occurred and that now, the pangs of a third one are being felt, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “There is a huge economic crisis when we look to the West, a West that is unable to restore itself, European economies which have failed to stop the crisis in three years. On the other side, to our East and South there is rampant social injustice. We must monitor these.

If we wish to be among this era’s winners we must analyze the world carefully and keep Turkey an island of economic and political stability. If we can do this, we will win.

For this to happen, we must enact our own transformation. If we do not enact structural reforms we will be among the losers.”

- Opportunity that comes with crisis

Stating that Turkey has grasped an important economic opportunity in this term, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Crises bring opportunity just as they bring danger. And this crisis is an opportunity for us. This is an important opportunity for us to venture out into the world. We were in the position of a one-armed boxer until today. Our only foreign market was the EU. We had no knowledge of the rest of the world. If the European market succumbs to the crisis, so will we. For this reason, we must venture into new markets.”

Stating that DEİK chamber representatives must have the vision to promote the private sector the world, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Prosperity of the people is through production. The people who will produce are entrepreneurs. Your role is to guide them.

You must develop yourselves further each day. You must know the world, your country, your province and your county well. You must know which investments you can attract to your city.”
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