Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Also attending the meeting were Diyarbakır Governor Hüseyin Aksoy, TOBB Board Treasurer Faik Yavuz, TOBB Board Member Memiş Kütükcü, TOBB Board Member and Diyarbakır Commodity Exchange Chairman Ebubekir Bal, Diyarbakır Chamber of Commodity and Industry Ahmet Sayar as well as the chamber and exchange chairs of neighboring provinces and counties.

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the first meeting was held in İstanbul, second in Bursa with the third being held in Diyarbakır.

Reporting that 1994 Domestic Product Certificates have been issued throughout the country, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Diyarbakır has 0, resulting in the need to hold this meeting.

Pointing out that the industrialists in Diyarbakır have not become aware of this quite yet, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We’ve come here to introduce this to yo0u all. All of Turkey has the chance to attain a 15% price advantage against China or Germany in all public tenders.” Reporting that TOBB has ensured the issuance of three Prime Ministerial Notices in the last 10 years, which were not entered into effect due to bureaucratic issues, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that with Minister Fikri leading, this has finally been implemented as part of the law.

Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that the products most advantageous to be produced in Diyarbakır would be decided upon through the arbitration of the Development Agency and the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

- No trade without peace

Stating that the best incentive for Diyarbakır and the region is to ensure peace through the successful completion of the solution process, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that as the peace increases along with the solution process, prosperity and tourism have been talked about more, that dreams of the future and projects are coming to the fore.

Pointing out that all that is necessary in order to achieve all of these dreams and reach these goals is peace, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Without peace, there is no trade; without trade there is no prosperity. Everyone who thinks about the future of this country and this city should take it upon themselves to ensure peace.

Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that they are relaying the problems of the region to ministers, the prime minister and the president directly.

Hisarcıklıoğlu thanked the Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz and the Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Işık as well as KOSGEB, TÜBİTAK and the Public Tenders Institution for their contributions to all of this.

- Other speakers

Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz provided information in regards to future projects as well as the ones which have recently begun. Touching on the importance of generating employment, Yılmaz stated that a region can’t be developed by state investment alone and that it requires investment of the private sector as well.

Science, Industry and Technology Minister Fikri Işık touched on the importance of industry and production, pointing out that countries which lacked investment into these fields fared the worst in the 2008 economic crisis. Stating that a new industrial strategy for 2015-2018 is in development, Işık said that a new success story is necessary to achieve the 2023 goals.

Governor Hüseyin Aksoy drew attention to Diyarbakır’s average age of 22 as a distinct advantage over the rest of Turkey and reported that the participation of women in the workforce in Diyarbakır has shown great development.

TOBB Board Member and Diyarbakır Commodity Exchange Chair Ebubekir Bal stated that Diyarbakır is exemplary with its history, culture and religion, inhabited by people of vastly different creeds and culture for centuries in peace.