Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Per capita income is presently around 10,000 USD. If we want to increase this number, if we want to bring it up to 25,000, we must turn to high tech products. That depends on being able to do business with places like CERN and nuclear plants.”​

Attending the Aegean Region Industry Chamber (EBSO) Successful Industrialists Award Ceremony, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that the government has given two pieces of good news for food-based industry, saying, “Warehousing in agriculture is being transferred over to the private sector. The storage of goods will be conducted by licensed warehouses. The way has been opened for product specialized exchanges. We thank them for these two pieces of good news.”​

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Customs and Commerce Minister Bülent Tüfekci and the chamber and exchange presidents accompanying them visited the İzmir Chamber of Commerce.​

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, along with Customs and Commerce Minister Bülent Tüfenkci, visited İzmir Commodity Exchange. Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed his views on the activation of the product specialized exchanges and transferring TMO warehouses to the private sector by saying, “Two revolutionary news for the agricultural market.”​

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “In order to make Turkey a player on the international level of agriculture, Turkey must establish the product specialized exchanges necessary to compete on the global markets.”​

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We’ve seen all kinds of promises on the political stage. We’ve seen what happens afterwards too. However, the Prime Minister has almost fulfilled all of their promises following the election.”​

Speaking at the TOBB Commodity Exchanges Council Meeting, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the value of agriculture will only become apparent once it is absent, “If we do not take precautions, if we import every product just because it is cheaper to do so we will become dependent to the outside. This would threaten our food security. Then is that what we should do today when, importing is cheaper? Of course not, we must recognize the reality of this region and appreciate our millennia old cultural values and seek to increase the productivity of farming, to implement a better system. Let us turn agriculture into a profitable endeavor. Let us instill in it economic discipline. Let us introduce terms like cost, competition, productivity, profit and scale into this agriculture.”​

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the R&D Reform Package which became law last week will provide great support for Turkey’s technological leap, “This package is an important step in transitioning from talking about innovation to innovating.”​

Following the terror attack which took place in Ankara on the 17th of February, cancelling his trip for the opening of the TOBB Brussels Service Building and the Turkey EU Chamber and Exchanges Forum, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, along with TESK Director Bendevi Palandöken, HAK-İŞ General Director Mahmut Arslan, TİSK Secretary General Bülent Pirler and Türkiye Kamu-sen Secretary General Mehmet Özer, visited Chief of Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces Hulusi Akar to extend their condolences. ​

The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu issued a press release regarding the terror attack which took place in Ankara, fiercely condemning those who perpetrated the heinous act as well as those who view terrorism as an acceptable course of action. Stating that the attack is aimed at the unity and solidarity of the country, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We will stand against these atrocities and vile attacks. Consciences will never forgive those who hope to benefit from these inhuman attacks.”​