Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

In his speech at the ceremony, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that maritime trade is among the most strategic sectors in global trade, “We want to be among the leading maritime countries.”

Emphasizing that this is not an easy task, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The maritime sector is where global competition and even cruel competition is seen at the highest level. Not only must you survive, you must also fly your country's flag in all the seas. Therefore, I would like to congratulate all the maritime traders representing our sector here.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkish maritime sector has gained good momentum with the right policies implemented recently. The Chamber of Maritime Commerce has contributed to more and given support to the sector under President Tamer Kıran’s leadership. Thus, our maritime shipping has entered into the top 15 countries in the world. Our marine trading fleet has grown. The number of active shipyards has increased. In the shipbuilding industry, we have become a recognized brand in the world. We are in a position to construct any ship to completion. We are able to export all kinds of ships to the whole world, beyond just being self-sufficient.”

Noting that this is a significant achievement, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that there is still a long way to go and that maritime trade is a part of Turkey's national being and wealth.

“We must protect the vitality and functionality of our maritime sector,” said the TOBB President and went on, “Otherwise, increasing foreign trade volume will benefit foreign transport companies. Every year we pay close to 5bn USD for freight. Why would we spend this much every year? Why shouldn't our sailors earn this money instead? Why shouldn’t the money stay in our country, our national companies?”

Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We must support and strengthen our shipbuilding industry, marine fleet, shipyards, ports in accordance with our export targets. Under the captaincy of our Chamber of Maritime Commerce, we are in consultation with our government on all these issues.”

Emphasizing that the Kocaeli Branch is an important part of the vision of delivering services in the best way like the other 8 branches, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Kocaeli is the production and export base of our industry. One of the largest port cities in Europe. Kocaeli is among the major cities that shape the world trade. It hosts an average of 10,000 ships a year. The 35 small and large port facilities make it the 7^th largest cargo port in Europe with 72 million tons of freight handled. The ports in the Izmit Bay are still only operating at half capacity. The load handling capacity here can easily be doubled, up to 150 million tons. Kocaeli can be just like Rotterdam. For this, we ask our government to complete the rail connections of the ports. If we can transfer this freight to railways, the amount of goods transported by Izmit Bay will increase, while the road congestion will decrease.”