Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the opening of the Regional Development Investment, Cooperation Forum and Fair, M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), said, “Each new entrepreneur means 10 jobs. If we raise 100,000 entrepreneurs every year, there will be no such problem as unemployment in our country.”

Stating that geographical markers are the wealth of a city, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that Şanlıurfa is second in Turkey in the registration rankings.

Hisarcıklıoğlu explained that the fair is important for entrepreneurship, noting:

“Entrepreneurship is an indispensable element of today's business world. A non-entrepreneurial economy certainly doesn't have power. Look at the whole world, al the strongest economies. In fact, everyone imports entrepreneur of other countries. We're looking at the U.S. today, and half the people in Silicon Valley were born outside the U.S. The solution of unemployment is here, today we have 1.5 million entrepreneurs in Turkey, what is the number of people we employ? 15 million. So every single new entrepreneur means 10 jobs. If we raise 100,000 entrepreneurs every year, there will be no unemployment in our country. What it says in our faith is that the best of man is he who is good for the people. The job that will be most beneficial to people today is to give food and work to a person. That is why entrepreneurship is a good business.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that as TOBB, they tried to introduce entrepreneurs through these activities and spread them to Anatolia, and that they have made significant progress at this point.

Hisarcıklıoğlu addressed the young people regarding entrepreneurship, stating that the most important thing at this point is courage, and that the capital remains the least important part and that a computer and garage are enough for this.

Stating that they see Şanlıurfa as the center of agriculture, trade and tourism, Hisarciklıoğlu said that the interest shown in the fair is indicative of this.

- Turkish Parliament Plan and Budget Commission Chairman Cevdet Yılmaz

Cevdet Yılmaz, chairman of the Turkish Parliament's Plan and Budget Commission, said in his speech that he was very happy to be present at the opening of the “Regional Development Investment, Cooperation Forum and Fair” held at Şanlıurfa Exhibition Center.

Yılmaz underlined that agriculture and food are also a strategic sector and stated that agricultural products with higher added value should be created in the new period.

Yılmaz mentioned the investments related to the Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP) and continued:

“When we look at exports, in 2002, the exports of all the provinces of the GAP region are not even 700 million dollars. Despite the pandemic last year, despite the contraction of trade in the world, the GAP region's exports reached $10.5 billion. Turkey's exports increased from $36 billion to $170 billion and increased 5-fold. Gap Region's exports increased from $700 million to $10.5 billion, up 15-fold. Our region has increased its exports 3 times more than the average in Turkey. When you look at employment, in 2007 there were around 1 million employees in the entire GAP Region, but in the pre-pandemic period it decreased slightly, but in the pre-pandemic period it increased to 2.1 million.”

After the speeches, Yılmaz and Hisarcıklıoğlu accompanied by Şanlıurfa Deputy Governor İsmail Çetinkaya, Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Mayor Zeynel Abidin Beyazgül, Şanlıurfa Chamber of Commerce and Industry President İbrahim Halil Peltek, Şanlıurfa Commodity Exchange President Mehmet Kaya and GAP BKI Deputy Chairman Mehmet Açıkgöz opened the fair.