Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The “Duties of Young Entrepreneurs in the 2023 Vision” seminar, organized by the TOBB University of Economy and Technology (TOBB ETU) and All Industrialist Businessmen Association (TÜMSİAD) took place at the TOBB ETU social facilities.

Attending the seminar were TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB Industry Chambers Council and Ankara Chamber of Industry President Nurettin Özdebir, TOBB Chambers of Commerce and Industry Council and Sivar Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Osman Yıldırım, Ankara Chamber of Commerce President Salih Bezci, TÜMSİAD President Dr. Hasan Sert, AKFEN Holding Board President Hamdi Akın and guests.

Giving the opening speech of the seminar, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu, “Prosperity is possible through entrepreneurship. We will conduct organizations to encourage entrepreneurship in Turkey together with TÜMSİAD.”

Stating that Turkey is still in high school in terms of entrepreneurship, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that developed countries make games of buying and selling as early as elementary school.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, stating that Japan has 6 million entrepreneurs in a population of 120 million, said that Turkey only has 1.5 million entrepreneurs in a population of 75 million. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “If we wish to be an important economy like Japan, we must increase our entrepreneur numbers.”

Relating how the Soviet Union, the most advanced power in both military and scientific terms, collapsed due to the lack of entrepreneurs, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Even though they had the power to destroy the world, the Soviets fell without a single bullet being shot. What they were missing were entrepreneurs, competition. Without entrepreneurs, you could meet the same fate as the Soviets.”

- Two areas we neglect are youth and women

Stating that youth and women are neglected, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “There are two areas neglected. One is youth, as 50% of our population is under the age of 28. The second field is women. Out of half of our population which is made up of women, only 6% are entrepreneurs. There is an injustice here. There is inequity. The parents in Turkey want their daughters to have a very good education; that they attend a good university. But afterwards they expect them to find a good husband and sit at home.

Weren’t we the ones who had a culture which avoided waste? We’ll preach about waste but some will finish university with their parents’ or the nation’s money and then we’ll ask them to sit at home. That is what tradition would have us do.

Who would a Muslim choose as role model? Our Revered Prophet. The wife of Our Revered Prophet, Hatice conducted trade. She was one of the biggest traders of Mecca. She had 80,000 camel loads of goods. Nose to tail, the camels lined up would cover almost 160 km. Now, if you choose the prophet as a role model and then tell your daughter to sit at home there’s something wrong going on. We need to be increasing our entrepreneur numbers rapidly. In approximately 80 years, we have reached a maximum of 1.5 million trader industrialists in a population of 74 million. The two areas we have ignored in this regard are youth and women. We should be working together in this.”

- “Economic boundaries have been abolished”

Stating that the world is nearing a point of unity, the TOBB President said, “Boundaries are gone. There are great opportunities for traders and industrialists. There are no more boundaries in economy. Everyone is opening up trade with each other. No longer is everyone only in competition with those beside them. Not with the same businesses in the same city. Not with those in the same country. You will have to compete with the rest of the world in your sector.”

Stating that before it used to be that “the more you produce, the better you are,” the situation has changed, Hisarcıklıoğlu said and stated that the only way to go forward is through added value, innovation, patenting.

- The formula for success from Hisarcıklıoğlu to young entrepreneurs

Stating that he has 5 principles on the matter of success, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “First of all, your costs must be lower than your income.

The second is that the trick is honesty. You will lose when you initiate foul play. Honesty may cost you in the short term but will ultimately benefit you as business life is a long one.

The third is to check first and trust afterwards. Human relations are built on trust but if you as an executive leave off inspections people will get lazy.

Fourth, if your only rely on your memory you will be mistaken. The written word is the only thing which won’t be forgotten.

Lastly there can be no “making do” in business. If you let your employees come to work later as a reward for their good work, your business will be turned on its head right then and there.

- Entrepreneurship starts with a dream

Stating that entrepreneurship starts with a dream Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Don’t be afraid to dream. The first point in entrepreneurship is a dream. If people did not dream, could they have gone to the moon? Only dreams won’t make you an entrepreneur though. You need to turn your dreams into goals. Even that by itself is not enough. Nothing can be accomplished without hard work. There can be no entrepreneurship without dreams, goals and success.”

- TÜMSİAD President Sert

TÜMSİAD President Dr. Hasan Sert stated that, as per the project they have undertaken with TOBB, entrepreneurship clubs will be established in high schools all over Turkey, preparing the grounds for the emergence of entrepreneurs.

After the opening speeches, TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu was presented with a plaque by the TÜMSİAD President Dr. Hasan Sert.
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