Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the ICC Arbitration Seminar, TOBB and ICC Turkey National Committee President and ICC Board Member M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, emphasizing that the arbitration mechanism is as important as the legislative and judicial mechanism, said, “Unfortunately, arbitration is far from where we want it to be in Turkey.”​

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accepted the Turkey – EU Joint Arbitration Committee delegation comprised of TESK President Bendevi Palandöken, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Türk-İş Director General Ergün Atalay, Hak-İş Director General Mahmut Arslan, Memur-Sen Director GeneralAhmet Gündoğdu and TİSK Board Chairman Tuğrul Kudatgobilik at the Dolmabahçe office.​

The findings from a survey conducted by the EU – Turkey Chamber Forum (ETCF-2) on 3700 companies in Turkey and on 1700 companies in the EU were announced during a meeting attended by the EUROCHAMBRES Vice President and TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and Minister Çavuşoğlu. In his speech, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that expansion is not a detriment to the EU but, quite the opposite, great economic opportunity and expressed his hope that expansion proponents will strengthen during the European Parliament elections held next month.​

In his statement regarding the 169th anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Police Department, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the police are the protectors of the democratic order and our safety, “The respect and love we hold for our police are, in fact, the reflection of the sentiments we harbor for our government and people. The police department is the stalwart protector of this country’s democratic order.”​

TOBB President and EUROCHAMBRES Vice President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the EU – Gulf Arab Cooperation Council (GCC) Financial Relations conference held by EUROCHAMBRES at the European Parliament.​

Speaking at the Turkey – EU Customs Union Assessment Report Launch meeting, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the World Bank Report vindicates the arguments of the Turkish private sector in regards to the problems they have voiced for years, “The Turkish private sector should not be subject to unfair competition from within or without the Customs Union and Turkey should be made party to FTA negotiations with third parties including the USA simultaneously.”​

Ireland’s Ambassador to Turkey, Kenneth Thompson visited TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu at his office. Having taken up office in Ankara for the last 2 years, Ireland Ambassador Thomson told TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu that the economic relations between their two countries had not yet reached their full potential and that they are ready to improve upon these relations.​

Malaysian Ambassador Amran Mohamed Zin visited TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu at his office. Congratulating the Ambassador on his appointment, Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed his wishes for the improvement and development of relations between the two countries.​

United Nations Turkey Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Program Turkey Resident Representative Kamal Malhotra visited TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu at his office. Approximately a year after assuming his post in Ankara, Malhotra presented his thanks to TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu for his cooperation with the United Nations.​

Attending the Board Meeting of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Tunisia, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu warned Islamic countries to take into consideration the new disposition of the world economy and prepare themselves accordingly while expressing that customs taxes, quotas and all such extra-tariff procedures must be eliminated among the Islamic countries.​