Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The 3rd Local and Traditional Goods Fair Promotion Meeting, held at TOBB between 20th and the 24th of June with the support of TOBB, Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Antalya Commodity Exchange was attended by the President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB Board member and Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Çetin Osman Budak and the Antalya Commodity Exchange President Ali Çandır.

In his speech, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said “Local goods and brands from the four corners of Turkey, from our provinces and counties will be promoted at the fair we will be holding at the Antalya Expo Center. This fair is a matter which I care about highly. We don’t have petroleum or natural gas. Our lands abound in much more precious treasures. We have over 3,000 local goods, not limited to foods. Lovingly handcrafted products, textiles, rugs, wood carvings, whatever you can think of. Be sure that if these treasures, this quality were had by any other nation they’d be rich from just the brands. Unfortunately we weren’t aware of this until recently. We weren’t even aware of the commercial value of the goods let alone taking advantage of them.

- “Europe didn’t know about yoghurt”

Stating that 50 years ago, nobody in Europe even knew about yoghurt, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “My grandmother used to give us yoghurt mixed with jam. Now the French are selling us fruit yoghurt. The company makes 20 billion Dollars a year. The French are making money off of my grandmother’s ideas. Look at corn flakes. I remember quite clearly that my grandmother used to cut up crispy bread in milk and give it to us for breakfast because we didn’t like milk. These were observed in many families in Anatolia. Ask around. The company that markets corn flakes is now one of the 200 largest companies in the world. Can you imagine it, how far the ideas of our mothers have come?”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that this is the point which is neglected, “We weren’t able to recognize the fact that these local goods, local foods were marketable. We come from a culture which abhors waste but we are wasting the great treasure we’ve been given. Your goods will only bring you money once you brand and promote it. Unfortunately we haven’t even packaged most of the goods found in Anatolia.”

- “We will turn this around”

Emphasizing that they want to turn this around with the Local and Traditional Goods Fair, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We are promoting the goods while also helping these products become brands and gain commercial value. A local purveyor of Turkish delights who attended the fair last year signed a contract with 80 hotels while the Gelibolu Mevlevi dessert has entered the Turkish Airlines menu, meaning over 30 million domestic and international travelers are eating it.

Just last month a protocol was signed between the Alaşehir Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Turkish Airlines. THY will be serving Alaşehir Sultani raisins in domestic flights. Now think how much this will contribute to that city. How much the farmers and tradesmen will win. That city will be a brand. This Fair presents us with a significant opportunity for turning our local values into products, branding them and marketing them. This why I would like you all to spread the word for all of our cities and companies to come. There’s money to be had in this business. This fair provides branding, the proof is there to be seen. Don’t miss this chance.”

- “We’ve taken the Fair one step further”

“We’ve taken the Fair one step further,” said Hisarcıklıoğlu and reported that the number of participants have increased from 80 last year to 150 this year. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they are expecting 100,000 national and international visitors to this year’s Fair, visited by 32,500 last year.

The TOBB President said, “We are also in contact with tour operators to have their guests visit the Fair. We will be providing training for participating companies in terms of geographical registration, branding and marketing. Another positive note is that 25 of the attending companies are established by women entrepreneurs. I believe that the prosperity of this endeavor will increase with a woman’s touch.”

- “The fair should be regarded as rural development and at-location-employment”

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The creators of this idea are the Antalya Commerce Exchange and the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry. During my visits in Turkey, it was apparent that every province, every county had goods particular only to itself. I observed that the prosperity found abroad was not present here. When Antalya came up with this idea, we worked on it.”
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