Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The Future Power Entrepreneurs Forum (G3 Forum) was held at Şahinbey Congress and Arts Center hosted by Gaziantep Chamber of Industry, Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce and Gaziantep Commodity Exchange with the coordination of TOBB, Habitat Association and GEN Turkey.

In the opening session of the forum, which was held with the “It's Time for Entrepreneurship” theme, Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül, Gaziantep Metropolitan Mayor Fatma Sahin, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB Young Entrepreneurs Council President and GEN Turkey Board Member Ali Sabancı, GEN Turkey Chair Nevzat Aydın and G3 Platform President and GEN Turkey Vice President Gülden Yılmaz speeches.

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said at the forum that entrepreneurship is important both for individuals and for the enrichment of the country.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the importance and attractiveness of entrepreneurship has increased in the world and in Turkey, and that more than 150 new initiatives and over $1.5 billion have been invested in this year alone.

Noting that mobile games are the first among the most downloaded applications in the world, Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that the sector with the most new initiatives in Turkey's entrepreneurship ecosystem is the gaming sector that receives the most investment.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkey's unicorn number has reached 5 and said that they expect this to double and find double digits.

Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that Turkey's most valuable companies today receive a new generation of startups and technology companies, noting:

“Getir, another new venture that blends technology with Trendyol, a 10-year e-commerce platform that is now the most valuable company in our country, has reached greater value than all our holdings and has become a brand and known in the world. For all these reasons, as TOBB, we want to establish an ecosystem in Turkey that not only monitors initiatives abroad, but also hosts initiatives that open up to the world. We dream of a Turkey that raises individuals who are part of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, supports these entrepreneurs and brings its competitiveness to the global with an innovative culture. Because in this century, we see that the most important condition for existence in the global arena is entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial country. Starting a business means being an entrepreneur, crossing old boundaries and leading innovation. Entrepreneurship is to realize the opportunities that the right people see at the right time, in the right place. It is very important to dream for entrepreneurship. It's the only area where we don't have limits. If you stop imagining, you stop living. Innovation is bringing new customs to the old village. It's doing what's not done. Or doing what is done in a new way. But a person who isn't brave can't be an entrepreneur. You shouldn't be afraid to take risks.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the pandemic brings new opportunities in addition to many difficulties, and stated that its technological transformation, which would have taken decades, has been experienced in 1 year.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that digitalization and e-commerce have gained importance all over the world and noted that all this is happening with the next generation of initiatives.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that as TOBB, they aim to digitize the private sector and develop the next generation of entrepreneurship.

“We prepare companies and entrepreneurs for the digital world. In this context, we produce projects to move SMEs to digital environment and to improve their technological infrastructure. For example, we have implemented the Smart SME Platform, Turkey's digitalization base. We provide all the guidance they need to our SMEs who want to digitalize and bring them together with digital transformation products and services. We work with Vodafone, one of the largest global technology companies in the world. Together, we prepare SMEs for the digital world with The Technology Meetings of Turkey and the Digital Transformation Movement. We want to improve not only the e-commerce from the company to the consumer, but also from the company to the company.”

- Other speakers

Ali Sabancı, President of the Young Entrepreneurs Council, stated that when they started these jobs 10 years ago, they aimed to pave the way for young people and increase entrepreneurship.

Referring to the achievements related to entrepreneurship, Sabancı said, “Nevzat Aydın, the founder of Yemeksepeti, came to the group where I worked many years ago. He was looking for an investor. It didn't even reach me. Then no one in the group I worked in believed that Yemeksepeti would be a business model. I'm proud to be able to sit next to you. Getir came along three years ago. I said, there's no such business model. Three years later, it grew five times the value,” he said.

Sabancı stated that not everyone was born with a golden spoon like himself, but others struggled to eat with a golden spoon, and as he observed in the programs during the day, the entrepreneurship has taken hold.

Nevzat Aydın, founder of Yemeksepeti and Chairman of GEN Turkey, expressed his satisfaction in meeting with entrepreneurial young people.

Aydın stated that successful entrepreneurs should put their hands up for the dissemination and development of entrepreneurship. “‎It is obvious that young entrepreneurs need our experience.‎ Although new initiatives have increased in our country, we have not yet reached the same level as the world. In order to reach the desired point, every part of the entrepreneurship ecosystem needs to work properly. If we can create an ecosystem that feeds itself that works for entrepreneurship, we can grow our successes with a multiplier effect. We are carrying out national international collaborations to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

Gaziantep Chamber of Industry President Adnan Ünverdi stated that the city is a center of attraction with industry, trade, gastronomy, health and tourism, and is also a role model in production, exports and employment.

Noting that they set a record with 8 billion dollars of exports in 2020, Ünverdi stated that they exported 9.128 billion dollars in the first 11 months of this year and that they will have reached the export target of 10 billion dollars by the end of this year.

Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce President Tuncay Yıldırım noted that the city was a city that had fought war, poverty and risen from the ashes.

Yıldırım stated that history will note those who do not give up, and underlined that the biggest example of this is Gaziantep, and that it is necessary to be a designer of the future, not audience, to make a mark.

Gaziantep Commodity Exchange President Mehmet Akıncı expressed his satisfaction that the form is in Gaziantep and stated that the city is a city that produces in all conditions and realizes its goals without giving up.

The forum, which was attended by Governor Davut Gül and AK Party Gaziantep MP Nejat Koçer, as well as many interested parties, continued with various sessions.