Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The EU-Turkey Chambers Forum II Project (ETCF-II), “Contributions of the Chambers and Commodity Exchanges to Turkey’s On-going EU Accession Process” Meeting was hosted byTOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and attended by the Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı, EUROCHAMBRES Secretary General Arnaldo Abruzzini, EU Turkey Delegation First Undersecretary Erwan Marteil and Central Finance and Tenders Unit (MFİB) President Muhsin Altun.

Giving the opening speech of the meeting, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the Turkey-EU chambers development program has significantly contributed to the service quality of chambers and commodity exchanges.

Stating that the project prepares the foundation of further cooperation with the chambers in the European Union (EU), Hisarcıklıoğlu said that they have rapidly developed their services and capacity aimed at the business world greatly in the last 10 years and have established new services, activity fields and institutions in this regard.

Hisarcıklıoğlu provided information on projects they have actualized to this end: TOBB ETU, TEPAV, Land Customs Gates Modernization company, Turkey-EU Business Development Centers, Specialized Vocational Training Centers Project, Turkey-EU Global Business Bridges Project and the “Advancement of Employee and Employers’ Ability for Adapting to Changes in Global Economy” project which will soon be implemented.

Stating that the Turkey-EU Chamber Forum Project is the fourth chamber development program they have implemented since 2001, Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that said projects aim to prepare chambers and commodity exchanges for EU accession, ensure Turkey-EU Civil Society Dialogue and contribute to human-to-human contact and raise awareness to the opportunities offered by Turkey’s EU membership.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they have conducted a series of activities as part of the project and went on:

“Personnel from 40 chambers and commodity exchanges are attending the EU training program. We have conducted a survey encompassing approximately 3,000 companies. We have tried to determine how well companies are informed regarding the EU accession process. We have also enquired as to how they perceive the EU accession process. We have conducted a detailed survey on 250 companies. We have determined these companies’ production compliance to EU legislation. To this end we have provided training to 25 experts from our chambers. Our experts are conducting the survey directly with experts from the EU. At the end of this study, we will be able to observe their compliance to EU Environment, Work Health and Work Safety, Consumer Protection, CE sign, Chemicals and food safety regulations.”

Stating that they have conducted a study encompassing 1,700 companies from EU member countries and that this will provide a look at the perception of the EU business world to Turkey’s EU accession process, Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that 30 chamber and commodity exchange directors have attended EUROCHAMBRES academies, receiving information on the best applications in this field in other countries and have ensured the transfer of experience and knowledge as well as preparing the foundation for future cooperation.

Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that 60 experts have been to Belgium, France, Austria and Poland for their research visits and said, “They will ensure that the vocational training, foreign trade support, innovation and SME support instruments are relayed to Turkey.”

- “Forty-one chambers and commodity exchanges have paired up with thirty-four EU country chambers”

Stating that as part of the project, Forty-one chambers and commodity exchanges have paired up with thirty-four EU country chambers, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The pairing projects have been conducted in every region of Turkey. For instance, the Batman and Şırnak chambers have been paired up with Gümülcüne TSO; Diyarbakır TSO with the Prato Chamber of Italy; Eskişehir SO and Kütahya TSO with the Stutgard Chamber; Trabzon TB with the Spanish Kaseres Chamber; Uzun Köprü TB, Uzun Köprü TSO, Kavala TSO and the Romanian Sibiu TSO have been paired up.”

Pointing out that they will improve foreign trade, innovation, conglomeration, agriculture support, environmental and vocational training cooperation through these pairing projects, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that successful applications will be transferred to Turkey.

Hisarcıklıoğlu reminded that they were in search of chambers and commodity exchanges with foreign language capacity in 2001, and that it was very difficult to find even 10 chambers and commodity exchanges which could speak English but as a result of various training programs, chambers and commodity exchanges have become important project implementing centers today.

Reporting that, as of the end of 2011, chambers and exchanges have implemented 440 projects, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the support created for these projects, primarily from EU resources, is approximately 350 million Euros.

- “We support Turkey EU accession process”

Hisarcıklıoğlu, stating that as the organizations of the business world, they are taking part in a great effort to support Turkey’s EU accession process and said, “We support Turkey’s EU accession process. The support of our members to the EU accession process is quite easily above the average in Turkey. Last year, in a survey among our members during the months of June and July, it was observed that 74% of the Turkish business world still views the Turkey’s EU membership favorably.”

Emphasizing that the EU membership efforts must be hastened with full membership as a goal, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The progress we’ve made in technical matters should not be locked down with political decisions. After all, Turkey is important for the European Union as well. Turkey cooperating with the EU is to the EU’s advantage.”

Pointing out that the Euro zone is struggling with significant economic problems, Hisarcıklıoğlu drew attention to the encouraging steps recently taken towards a solution.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the EU is attempting to turn the economic crisis to their advantage and said:

“The decisions which support our neighbor, Greece, in overcoming the debt crisis give us hope for the future of the Euro zone. I believe that the EU will overcome the debt crisis. However, the one thing which must not happen for the Euro crisis to be overcome is that Europe closes in on itself. The growth process must be viewed as an opportunity as the European Commission suggests. The contribution of the growth process to EU member countries should not be ignored with unnecessary populist approaches. No political excuse, no populist approach should impede economic and employment growth.”

Emphasizing the need for focusing on the European Commission’s strategies for growth, proliferation of employment opportunities and becoming more competitive, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The proposed changes to visa procedures should be looked at. None of these include closing in on itself. The European Commission is displaying an approach similar to the EU’s growth process. I believe that EU leaders need to pay heed to the European Commission’s suggestions.”

- Customs and Commerce Minister Yazıcı

In his speech, Customs and Commerce Minister Hayati Yazıcı said, “Our goal as a ministry is to make Turkey into a country where trade is conducted in the easiest manner; not only that but to make it where the conduct of trade is the safest.

Minister Yazıcı stated that trade borders between countries are disappearing as result of globalization in today’s world and that competition is becoming more prominent.

- Central Finance and Tenders Unit (MFİB) President Altun

The Central Finance and Tenders Unit (MFİB) President Muhsin Altun reported that 3,114 grant agreements have been signed to date, amounting to a total of 2.52 million Euros in grants. Altun also reported that compliance with the agreements is around 95%.

- Arnaldo Abruzzini

EUROCHAMBRES Secretary General Arnaldo Abruzzini stated that they are developing an effective and beneficial dialogue, said that a deep rooted trade relationship exists between EU and Turkey.

- Erwan Marteil

EU Turkey Delegation First Undersecretary Erwan Marteil stated that the EU and Turkey are coming closer together.

Marteil, stating that Turkey is in a key position for the EU, said, “The speeding up of the negotiations will benefit both sides.”
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