Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the Contributors to Çanakkale Award Ceremony held by the Çanakkale Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Çanakkale Commerce Exchange, Biga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Biga Commerce Exchange and Gelibolu Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

At the Çanakkale TSO Congress and Fair Hall where the Cerenomy was held, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu conducted the opening of the “Atatürk’s Çanakkale Visit Photographs” and “17th and 18th Century Çanakkale Engravings” galleries with the Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı.

Hisarcıklıoğlu and Minister Yazıcı moved on to the Contributors to Çanakkale Award Ceremony after perusing the galleries.
Pointing out the importance of branding in his speech during the ceremony, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “If we want to prosper, to be richer, to be one of the top 10 economies of the world, we must first of all brand our business. We must brand our country. Çanakkale’s duty is to brand Çanakkale. You should be investing in the Çanakkale brand. I tell the same thing to our traders and businessmen: Whatever you do, brand it.”

- “Çanakkale means Turkey”

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Çanakkale means Turkey. I have my late father’s yearbook from the Kayseri High School. The Kayseri High School had no graduates for two years in a row. That is because every single student from the 10th and 11th grades gave their lives here.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu thanked Minister Hayati Yazıcı on behalf of the whole private sector for the new Turkish Trade Law. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The Turkish Trade Law is a burden of 6 billion TL off from the backs of every SME yearly.”

- Free money

The TOBB President said, “I’m giving you the address of free money. Partner up with your business partners who are plying the same trade in the same business field. If two are partners the third says ‘I’m in’. If you take that third on, nobody can beat you. All over the world, businesses are merging in order to hold greater market shares. Those who produce, buy and sell the most win. You have to move away from the closed off mentality.”

- “We must applaud good works”

Expressing his admiration for the Çanakkale TSO Congress and Fair Hall and thanking the Çanakkale TSO Board, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We must applaud good works. We must appreciate them. We must also point out deficiencies without malice and causing hurt. There is nobody who isn’t flawed in some way, save Allah.
All ranks and positions are temporary. Who will benefit after this? Çanakkale will. Who will benefit from this fair hall? Çanakkale will. The industrialists in Çanakkale will.”

- “There can be no quality without competition”

Stating that they will support Çanakkale as the TOBB University of Economy and Technology, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Shortly, we will sign a protocol to provide faculty support to Çanakkale. There are two universities in Çanakkale. Synergized, there will be competition between these two. There can be no quality without competition.

The more we allow for competition in education, the higher the quality will be. What did the establishment of private schools bring? If it was only state schools every graduate would be uniform. Now, with private schools and foundation universities, there is competition and along with competition, there is quality.”

The Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı provided information regarding the new procedures planned for customs to facilitate trade and that they would provide more information as it becomes suitable to do so.

After the ceremony TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and the Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı acted as witnesses to the signing of the cooperation protocol signed between the Çanakkale University and the TOBB University of Economy and Technology.

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu and Minister Yazıcı also conducted the opening of the business center constructed by the Çanakkale Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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