Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the opening ceremony, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu, emphasizing that they have taken an important step for the business world in İzmir today, said, “We all know, due to the excessive file load, the slow functioning of the judicial system has always been the subject of complaints. The average case lasts 2 years in court of first instance. Then for another 2 years, the second instance continues in court. At this point, alternative solutions must come into play.”

Reminding that in Akhism, which forms the basis of the Chamber-Commodity Exchange Community, the Akhi solve commercial disputes, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “What it says in our culture; facilitate, don't exacerbate.

Then we forgot about it, Europe took it from us and developed it. Thanks to Mr. Cemil Çiçek, during his term as the Minister of Justice, he took on this job and introduced the mediation system. In worker-employer, commercial and consumer disputes, mediation was made compulsory. We have also established an UYUM Mediation and Dispute Resolution Center within TOBB. Its chairman was Mr. Cemil Çiçek, the Speaker of the Assembly. And under his direction, it has developed rapidly.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the chambers also embrace this issue and open centers within their own structures and spread it, so that the use of this system is increasing day by day.

Hisarcıklıoğlu informed that the number of applications to mediation across Türkiye reached 100,000 per month, “And 70 percent of them resulted in an agreement. Trials that used to take years were over in days or weeks. So access to justice has accelerated. Most importantly, the parties made peace and went their separate ways. Now you will be able to resolve all your trade disputes here, both faster and cheaper. You'll be able to see cases that took months or even years come to a conclusion here in a matter of weeks. Be sure to use this opportunity offered by our chambers. Already in commercial life, time is the most important capital. Any regulation that will facilitate trade and strengthen the economy and our judicial system is important and valuable to us.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu congratulated İzmir CE President Mahmut Özgener for his vision that brought this center to İzmir and said: “Mahmut is my brother and my colleague in the TOBB administration. He represents you in the best way in Ankara. At the level that TOBB has reached today, in its service capacity, it has great effort and contribution. He is also the director of TEPAV, Türkiye's largest think tank. Here, we advise both the private and public sectors and draw a road map. I am very happy to work with him and to be my companion. In fact, İzmir CE is the first in Türkiye with the highest accreditation level among the chambers of commerce. I say may Allah be pleased with my brother Mahmut Özgener, who works with determination to serve İzmir in the best way.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that he was in Azerbaijan at the weekend and that they organized a Business Forum with 200 businessmen in the city of Shusha and supported the reconstruction of Shusha and Karabakh, which were liberated from occupation. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Then we went to Baku to receive the State Order awarded to me by President Aliyev. We have returned to our country by receiving this precious award on behalf of our community and you. This pride belongs to all of us and therefore I wanted to experience the happiness of it here as well.”

Stating that the TOGG factory will be opened on October 29, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Our dream of producing a national car, which was left unfinished 60 years ago, becomes a reality in a month. As of March 2023, we start to see our car on the roads of İzmir. To have succeeded in this initiative, of which our Chamber and Commodity Exchange community is the founding partner, is a source of pride and pride for all of us.”