Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the event, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that he sees Çaycuma progress each and every time he visits and that the reason for it is Çaycuma’s unity and solidarity.

Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “There is there is grace and prosperity in unity; anguish in dissent. Our parliamentary representative said, 'Residents of Çaycuma will act together for Çaycuma even if they are of different political views.’ This is what brings prosperity. What a happy picture this is; we will win for as long as we can maintain this state.”

Expressing that Çaycuma is very important not only for Zonguldak but also for Turkey, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Take a photo of Çaycuma today and a decade later. It will be a very different Zonguldak and a very different Çaycuma.”

The TOBB President, pointing out brands from Çaycuma are all around Turkey, said, “Yurtbay ceramics is an example of this. This is the city's brand. An application has been filed for the geographic marker for the region’!s ox milk yoghurt. It is not possible for cities to develop without branding.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu also referred to the Fetullahist Terrorist Organization's (FETO) coup attempt on July 15^th, stating that the chairmen of the chambers continued production without interruption, saying:

“Everyone was at their jobs the next morning. If this happened in any other country in the world, the government offices will not open for a week; we were at work the next morning. We continued to produce, buy and sell. There was an enormous economic cost for us but it was a trial for us and we succeeded greatly as a nation. This was a triumph of the nation, a triumph that everyone wrote together; I congratulate my brethren who are producing, employing and exporting despite these difficult circumstances.”

Following the award ceremony, the protocol for the Çaycuma Chamber of Commerce and Industry Food, Agriculture Vocational High School to be built at Bülent Ecevit University Campus was signed.