Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The opening ceremony was held in Workshop 1886 with the participation of TOBB Board Member Cihat Lokmanoğlu, Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Ayhan Kızıltan, Meta Turkey and Azerbaijan Public Policy Manager Sezen Yeşil and Habitat Association Chairman Sezai Hazır.

Station Mersin will host a series of different trainings, programs and workshops focused on the digitization of Turkish society and economy, and will provide a physical space for different social groups and communities to come together and exchange ideas and work together. Founded to strengthen the regional economy and communities, Station Mersin supports the digital transformation of SMEs and entrepreneurs and aims to reach global markets for businesses in the Mediterranean region.

- “Our entrepreneurs will come up with new ideas, receive trainings and open up to the world from Mersin”

In his opening speech, TOBB Board Member Cihat Lokmanoğlu mentioned the importance of the existence of institutions such as Station Mersin, which contributes to increasing the sources of superiority of both new and existing enterprises in Mersin.

Lokmanoğlu continued: “The presence of institutions in cities that contribute to increasing the sources of superiority of both new and existing enterprises is of great importance. There are many institutions in Mersin that work with dedication for the development of the business life, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. I consider Mersin fortunate for that. Thank you very much to everyone who helped us come together for Station Mersin, which we open together today. With this center, our entrepreneurs will come up with new ideas, receive trainings and open up to the world from Mersin.”

- “We will implement Facebook Station all over the country”

Sezen Yeşil, Director of Public Policy of Meta Turkey and Azerbaijan, said, “The pandemic that we have all experienced has once again shown us how important it is for the country's economy for individuals, businesses, communities and NGOs to develop themselves in the digital world. Facebook Station, our first community center in Turkey, which we opened in Istanbul in September 2019, is one of the biggest investments we have made in this direction. With the Mersin satellite center, which we signed the protocol today, we have moved one step closer to our goal of implementing Facebook Station all over the country. We will organize training programs and workshops in all our community centers focusing on a range of different topics such as online export, digital marketing, online security and digital communication.”

Mersin Governor Ali İhsan Su said: “Today we are happy to open a very special center. Our world is on the verge of rapid change. Where we're at, invention anywhere in the world is rapidly affecting another place. It's important to keep up with that speed. We have to improve ourselves to gain a place in this period of very high competition. We are taking a big step towards digitalization with Station Mersin, which we opened today. We hope this center, where we will provide trainings in different fields, to be beneficial for our entrepreneurs and entrepreneur candidates.”

- “Our young people will be able to use this place to turn their dreams into projects”

Ayhan Kızıltan, President of the Board of Directors of Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “Our task is to pave the way for our young people and to prepare good environments for them. At Station Mersin, we will continue our efforts to make the future of both Mersin and Turkey go much further. Our community center will provide a space for all young people to turn their dreams into projects. At Station Mersin, trainings will be given on how to use the digital world effectively for everyone from our young people to our big companies.”

Stating that Habitat Association will support entrepreneurship and Turkey's digital transformation within the scope of cooperation with Meta in the future, Habitat Association Chairman Sezai Hazır continued: “The slogan of Global Entrepreneurship Week in Turkey this year was a motto of the time. It's time because sometimes we despair when negativity like the pandemic is high. But entrepreneurs can't afford to despair. Entrepreneurs should give hope as a light to society. Therefore, in order to give hope, we continue to open such community centers, even if some of the negatives of the pandemic persist.”