Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

“You will represent the government at the four corners of Turkey,” Hisarcıklıoğlu said and went on, “You have a very important mission. The governor is the representative of the state. You will be the bridge between the state and the citizens, the state and the private sector. You will have very important experiences in recognizing people. Allah willing, you will rise to the top of the state.”

Pointing out the importance of setting goals and dreaming, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The place where humans are freest is in dreams. It is very important to choose a goal and go for it. This is very important for your personal development and the development of your country. Confucius has a beautiful quote: If you want to climb the tree, aim to climb to the stars. That is how you can climb the tree. This country needs you. On October 18, by the will of Allah, you will be assigned your regions.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu gave recommendations to the participants: “You should know your district very well. You must learn your people, their character, history, past and behavior well. If you want to have a say in the district, you should be in close dialogue with the opinion leaders in the district. You must be open to consult with them. If you want to succeed in your city, opinion leaders are very important.

There’s a new understanding of the state. There is a conception of the state on with the people. This is a condition for success. Your door must be open to everyone.

You should always support the private sector. Chambers and exchanges are cement of this country. Our members are the capital of this country. You need to work closely with our chambers and exchanges. In Ankara, we are in constant dialogue and consultation with the public-private sector.

We discovered this in the 1980s. We learned with the late Özal. Until then, we didn't know we had an entrepreneurial spirit. We don't have natural gas. We have no oil. We have only one fortune. The entrepreneurial spirit Allah has given us. You will be at the most critical points wherever you go. You must be entrepreneur-friendly. If you want to make your district rich, you have to work closely with entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship equals wealth. There is no other way. If you do not want to take orders from others, you must prosper.

One million people join the workforce every year. How do you give a million people jobs? We need more entrepreneurs if we don't want unemployment to be a problem in the coming period. The essence of entrepreneurship is courage. You must be courageous. It is enough for them to feel that the state is behind them.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that district governors should definitely provide hope where they go and not be pessimistic.

Stating that they lived through many challenges in this region for 150 years, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated they overcame them all.  Per capita income in Turkey in 1980 was 1000 USD with an exports volume of 3 billion USD while these figures today are 10,000 USD per capita income and 160-170 billion USD exports volume.

Noting that Turkey's became an agricultural exporter from importing, the TOBB President said Turkey has become an industrial giant between China and Italy.

Referring to the importance of unity and solidarity, Hisarcıklıoğlu asked the district governors not to marginalize others in the places where they will serve.