Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

While sharing his experiences, Hisarcıklıoğlu provided information about the activities of the 367 Chambers and Exchanges operating in 81 provinces and 160 districts under TOBB. “It is invaluable for our district governors to support entrepreneurs in their districts for local development and to collaborate with the Chambers and Exchanges,” said Hisarcıklıoğlu, wishing the district governor candidates success in the duties they will undertake.

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said: “You have a very important mission. A district governor is a representative of the state. You will serve as a bridge between the state and citizens, and between the public and private sectors. You will gain very important experiences in getting to know our people. You must maintain close dialogue with opinion leaders in your district. You must be open to consultation with them, for two heads are better than one. You must also provide continuous support to the private sector.” Chambers of Commerce and Industry are the backbone of this country. Our members are also national assets. You need to work closely with our chambers of commerce and industry. Be sure to strive to be entrepreneur-friendly. Because if you want to develop your district, you need to work closely with entrepreneurs. Look, one million people enter the workforce every year. How will any institution employ that many people? This is only possible with a strong private sector and strong entrepreneurs. If we don’t want unemployment to be a problem, our country needs more entrepreneurs.”

- Information on the Chamber System

Sharing information about the structure and characteristics of the chamber system, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Essentially, the chamber system stems from our culture. The foundation of the chamber system is based on the Akhi System of the 13^th century; it has evolved based on that foundation. Our 2.6 million members account for 70% of employment, meaning they provide jobs for 16 million registered workers. They generate 74% of the national income, which amounts to $1.2 trillion in production. It accounts for 78% of investments, amounting to $170 billion annually. And it accounts for 99% of exports, totaling $275 billion. Given the institutional capacity we have achieved today and the services we provide, I am proud to state that the Turkish chamber-exchange system ranks among the top three most developed and productive chamber-exchange systems in the world,” he said.