Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated in his speech that everyone should think differently and, through consultation, combine these thoughts into common cause.

Stating that he has been to every part of Turkey, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Allah has given us soil and water. Water is a great boon. You could have all the soil you want but it is useless without water. Allah has granted us both the Kızılırmak River and 66% arable land ratio.”

Pointing out that the first instances of industrialization also took place in Kırıkkale, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Turkey’s first Organized Industry Zone Specialized in Firearms has been established here, with 35 of its 65 parcels already sold. This is a first in Turkey; and quite right that it is so. Kırıkkale is 11^th among Turkey’s 81 provinces in terms of habitability. This shows that Kırıkkale is a place of peace, trust and mutual respect among people.”

Reporting that Kayseri has access to a market valued at 77 billion TRY in just 3 hours of travel, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Kırıkkale has access to a market valued at 181 billion TRY in the same time, which, he stressed is a great advantage.

Drawing attention to the fact that arms manufacture is in the top segment of technology in the world, the TOBB President said, “It brooks no mistakes. You may be allowed a mistake here and there in sugar production but this isn’t the case in arms manufacture. Masters learning their craft in the top segment are those individuals honing their skills at the Machinery and Chemicals Industry Institution. We must make use of this potential.”

Stating that, according to the comparisons between 2013 and 2014 in regards to the statistics of newly created companies, Turkey stands in the top 16%, Hisarcıklıoğlu went on, “This rate is 69% in Kırıkkale. This is a measure of economic liveliness almost 5 times that of the national average. In terms of exports during the same period, Kırıkkale increased its exports by 16% while Turkey was only at 4%. The number of registered employees between January 2014 and January 2015 increased by 5% in Turkey on average in total while the increase in Kırıkkale was 14%. These are all indicators of Kırıkkale’s dynamism and activity.”

Stating that TOBB ETU is the third most preferred university nationally, Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that they have initiated talks with YÖK in order to open the faculty promised in Kırıkkale.

- Former Deputy Prime Minister Atalay

Former Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay stated that TOBB president Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu is an important profile for Turkey.

Stating that his contributions to Turkey are well known, Atalay said, “TOBB has become a great institution which contributes to the country for the first time instead becoming mired in meaningless discussion. We are all witness to this.”