Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Hisarcıklıoğlu, who opened the Conference Room of the Gerede Chamber of Commerce and Industry named after him, said, “I would not have allowed it if I had proper knowledge, but as you’ve judged it to be appropriate, thank you.”

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that Gerede is on the historical Silk Road. Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the city is now the junction point between the East-West and the North-South. Underlining that Gerede is also a city of leather artisans, the TOBB President stated that Gerede has been processing crude leather for 900 years and its products are sold to many countries from Russia to Greece. In 1810, a traveler by the name of Morier visited Gerede. He writes: ‘Gerede is a big city, and there are a lot of leather factories (tanneries) at the entrance.’ Gerede provides 40% of shoe leather production in Turkey. This production will accelerate with the leather OIZ as well as increasing added value. Gerede has the potential to become a leather brand around the world. We should introduce Gerede's leather to the world with better marketing.”

- Gerede’s potential

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Gerede has an indoor sports area for skiing, cycling and cross-country skiing, able to host international competitions. He said, “Esentepe, Keçi Fortress, Ramazan Dede Resort, Arkut Ski Center are here. You have cool and clean air. In the Ibn-i Batuta Travel Account, Gerede is described thusly: This is a beautiful and large city on a high plateau. It's one of the coldest places in the world. But if you want to earn money from all these beauties, you need to invest in tourism. We also have a request: We want the İsmetpaşa-Sakarya railway to pass through Gerede.

Gerede CCI is in its accreditation process. I hope they will become accredited soon. Gerede CCI is representing Gerede very well in all endeavors. The temporary storage facility they acquired for Bolu was supported by the Development Agency with approximately 3.5 million TRY. The project has been completed. Livestock OIZ establishment efforts are under way.

Gerede CCI brought many services to its members' feet. Gerede CCI is also serving as an İŞKUR service point. They are hard at work for the development of the leather industry. They are raising awareness for leather going to waste so that the economic loss is minimized. They are working to maintain added value in our country. They are working on mine-sensitive soles and non-shattering leather. Gerede CCI is also working on training qualified personnel which is among the most important problems of the region. Gerede Vocational High School exhibits a fine example of industry-university collaboration. Leather belts, wallets, bags crafting training is provided there. You’ve brought Beşiktaş here. I hope they will build their facilities here as well.”