Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Export Support Office Cooperation Protocol was signed by TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan at a ceremony held at the TOBB Twin Towers. Hisarcıklıoğlu, speaking at the signing ceremony, said, “Turkey's 85% of exports are undertaken by 10 provinces. We’ve begun efforts to establish 'export support offices' in 6 more provinces in addition to the 10. We started building work. We have increased the number of chambers which export support offices will be set up to 25.” Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the public and private sectors are focusing on new products, new markets, new exporters.”

Pointing out that Turkey, the world's 17^th largest economy, ranks 32^nd in exports, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that of the 1.5 million entrepreneurs in Turkey, only 72,000 (5%) are exporters. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the number of exporters who have been exporting continually for 10 years has not reached 10,000.

Stressing that the companies are not open enough to international trade, Hisarcıklıoğlu said:

“We still do not know enough about exporting. Ranking 12^th in Greece's imports, 9^th for Bulgaria and 22^nd for Russia. Turkish goods should have an advantage in these countries with both quality and price. Get on a plane from Turkey, in 4 hours you reach a market of 9 trillion dollars and 2 billion people. The export range of Turkey is currently about 2,900 kilometers. Israel's exports range is 5,600 kilometers. Years ago, a World Bank report pointed out that 'the same companies in Turkey, sell the same goods to the same markets.' Years have passed and the situation is still the same.”

- “Our chambers will guide exporters”

Stating that it 85% of Turkey's exports are undertaken by just 10 provinces, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Four of these provinces are in the Marmara Region, 3 in the Aegean region, Ankara in Central Anatolia, Hatay in the Mediterranean Region and, Gaziantep in the Southeast Anatolia Region.”

Reminding that in Minister Pekcan's 100-Day Action Plan, at least 10 provinces are planned to have export support offices set up in their chambers and exchanges Hisarcıklıoğlu, reported that they have began efforts to establish offices in an additional 6 provinces with the number of chambers to have offices established increased to 25.

Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that these chambers will inform companies in order to increase the number of exporters and will explain export supports.

“Our Chambers will guide exporters on all subjects. Our Ministry of Commerce gives important incentives and supports for exportation. The economy is at the heart of our chambers. The needs and demands of the companies come first to our chambers. Our chambers and exchanges can provide direct service to every company, have the capacity to lead. Our responsibility and motivation are even higher. We will reap together the fruits of focus on our goals by adding new exporters to the economy and breaking new export records. We look to the future with hope. Together, we will ensure Turkey wins.”

- Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan

Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan stated that for the first stage, 16 provinces, 25 chambers and exchanges will have export support offices established, “These 16 cities, with 53.6 billion dollars in exports in 2017 conducted one-third of our total exports. Our goal is now to increase these numbers even more as well as supporting provinces with little to no exports.”

Pekcan stated that their goal as the Ministry is to spread exporting beginning with SMEs, then to the economy as a whole.

Pekcan stated that in a sense, it could be called an “exportation mobilization,” and they want to see all the actors of the business world in this mobilization.

Pekcan stressed that the way to increase exports is through fast and accurate access to information for the business world:

“The more our business world is well-equipped and knowledgeable, the higher the rate of increase in exports. Therefore, we organized the Communication Points Training Program on September 24-25. We consider the representatives from 72 chambers of commerce and industry who participated in this program as representatives of our Ministry. As the Ministry, we are taking a very important step with the support of TOBB today in order to carry out all of our work together with our local stakeholders. All our exporters will have the knowledge and equipment at international standards and export support offices will be in constant communication with our Ministry. In the first phase, we will establish export support offices in 16 provinces with 25 chambers and exchanges. These 16 provinces conducted one third of our exports in 2017 with 53.6 billion dollars of exports volume.”

Pekcan stating that the number of export support offices will be increased, said, “Our goal is now to increase these numbers even more as well as supporting provinces with little to no exports. We will establish support offices in other chambers as well.”

Minister Pekcan, then signed the Export Support Office Cooperation Protocol with TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.