Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Export-Oriented Manufacturing Strategy Review Committee, convened under the chairmanship of State Minister Zafer Caglayan.

 

Hisarciklioglu said that Libya has undertaken business worth total of $15 billion and $27 billion exports and that a team was formed in patronage of DEIK which is in constant contact with business consultants which in turn transfers this information to the Undersecretariat of Prime Ministers of Foreign Affairs crisis table.

 

Hisarciklioglu stated that bringing up the issue of input supply in the committee meeting was appropriate and important. He additionally noted that despite some difficulties after the crisis the exports have gone really well.

 

Hisarciklioglu expressed that the biggest problem is importing of intermediate goods and to solve this problem Turkey should adopt attractive production of  intermediate goods. He underlined that an additional 1 million jobs will be produced, once the supply of intermediate goods are done through domestic intermediate goods

 

Minister of State Zafer Caglayan

 

Zafer Caglayan stated that once Libya’s situation cools down, Turkish companies will recommence their businesses with Libya, continuing, ‘ Due to the conditions in Libya the Turkish businesses, contractors, engineers, and firms have given a break. However, we have no such intentions of leaving Libya and we will not.’

 

Zafer Caglayan primarily addressed the events that are taking place in Libya in the , Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade at meeting. He stated that a critical period is being gone through and the regions of Middle East and Africa which Turkey has intense historical, cultural and economic relationships, are covering serious developments and changes. Caglayan stated that the changes taking place in these respective regions is of great importance to Turkey, continuing, “ Our wish is for these problems to be solved before it leads to an internal war and further bloodshed.  Our want is for the citizens to reach the level of prosperity and meet their human right demands which is far long desired by them.”

 

Caglayan stated that due to the events that have occurred in Tunisia and Egypt Turkey’s exports firstly was negatively effected however one the normalization process was attained there has been recovery in the figures, however, the situation in Libya is different.

 

Committee Studies

 

Caglayan stated that in Export-Oriented Manufacturing Strategy Review, Turkey’s forign trade deficit was effectivelly discussed and the reasons were analyzed and in this case, hence, in this case maximum use of the domestic resources and the secure provision of outsourced resources is the main aim of the committee. In order for Turkey to reach its export targets through export oriented products, Turkey has to identify which investment incentives should be included in the scope, which sectors should be assigned more weight and in which countries what products are to be sold. 

 

Caglayan said, “We are going through a period that we have high foreign trade deficit and current  account deficits. The situation in Libya and Middle East have increased the price of fuel which imposes a threat on the current account deficit. Studies are being conducted on this matter. Out of  $185.5 billion dollars of total exports,  $38.5 billion dollars of exports were accounted from energy, this is an important issue with regard to foreign trade deficit and current account deficit.”

 

-Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) President Umit Boyner

 

The President of TUSIAD Umit Boyner also stated that turkey is going through a transition period and Turkey needs to follow a policy in this case.  Boyner expressed that studies needed to be undertaken to find ways and means to protect the rights and existence of Turkish entrepreneurs.

 

The President of Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM), Mehmet Buyukeksi indicated the evacuation process was highly successful and the events in Libya had a negative influence on exports.

 

Buyukeksi expressed that the success covered in the Middle East and North African markets played an import role on the exports and situation in these countries has a negative effect on the exports in short term and increased fuel prices hence leading to rise in inflations.

 

Buyukeksi drew the attention to that fact that increase in the fuel prices could lead to reduction of demands in the economy. He also expressed that changes in the exchange rate politics has effected exports positively, the fact that Turkish Lira is being overvalued constitutes an obstacle on exports but encourages imports.

 

The President of Turkish Contractors Association (TMB)  Erdal Eren  stated that the lives of the Turkish citizens is what matters in the events that are taking place in Libya. Eren requested that once the situation in the Arab countries are normalized the Turkish governments should undertake necessary initiatives to ensure continuation of trade and business. ​