Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Hisarcıklıoğlu, stating that he is late because of a YOİKK meeting with Vice President Fuat Oktay and Ministers, said, “I'm so honored to be among you. I haven't been to just two of these awards ceremonies. I'm getting morale from you here. I'm giving the morale I've taken to Anatolia. There's a success story here, and I tell you your accomplishments everywhere I go. I want them to follow your example.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed that acting together brings success, “This is also very much present in Kocaeli. You are the leader of vehicle production, chemical industry, and metal industry of our country. Kocaeli also competes with countries in foreign trade. With its foreign trade volume, Kocaeli outperforms 130 countries in the world. You rank second in taxes paid and first in tax collected in Turkey.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Kocaeli, besides all these, with employment and vocational training, ports and OIZs, with their R&D, high-tech production, number of patents, is one of Turkey's most successful provinces.

Reporting that TOBB is working to facilitate things, and have implemented various projects, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “By working with our government, we have put into practice reforms which improve the business and investment environment in our country. We ranked 43^rd in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index (Doing Business) last year, while this year we managed to move up to 33^rd place. This is the first time in our history that we've ranked so high. We, as TOBB, undertook the coordination of the private sector in this business. We have developed solutions to problems coming from you and our members and put them on the YOİKK agenda. Now the goal is to be one of the top 20 countries; we are working for this.”

Stating that they’ve always dreamed of taking on vocational education with the Minister of National Education, Hisarciklıoğlu said, “Our Chambers will match with a vocational high school in every province, and they will have a say here. Our school in Kocaeli is the İzmit Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School. Kocaeli was already an exemplary city in vocational education throughout Turkey. Thanks to this new cooperation, we will raise vocational education to Kocaeli level all over Turkey.

On the other hand, we have established TOBB MEYBEM to provide you with the fastest service in the field of Vocational Qualification and Certification for our brothers working in hazardous professions. Under the leadership of our Kocaeli Chamber of Industry, Kocaeli conducted the most certifications.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu also mentioned the mediation system, and said that thanks to mediation, 65% of worker-employer dispute cases resulted in agreements.

Hisarciklıoğlu explaining that mediation and arbitration are used together in commercial disputes and claims cases, stressed that commercial disputes will be concluded in 5 months at the latest, and that the only thing that needs to be done is to include, “TOBB Arbitration Board is authorized in case of disputes,” into contracts.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the solution of unemployment is to increase the number of entrepreneurs and said that they are working to support women entrepreneurship. Hisarcıklıoğlu said women entrepreneurs are role models for young girls.

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that there is nothing they can’t achieve with the public-private sector working together hand in hand; with consultation and common cause, urging them to not alienate each other.

Deputy Trade Minister Gonca Yılmaz Batur pointed out that global trade is going through a difficult period and countries are starting to act with a sense of protectionism.

Referring to US arrangements and treaties on trade and economic issues, Batur said, “The effects of this are new action plans that we need to consider as deviations directly in the direction of trade in the World Trade Organization. The World Trade Organization announced its trade growth figure for 2019 at 3% at the beginning of the year; now reduced to 1.2%. This is a very serious change.”

Batur, reporting that 69 countries will have fully announced the export figure in 1.5-2 months, said, “These are the 69 largest and institutional economies. Looking at the rankings of these 69 countries, 50 countries account for negative growth. So his trade went backwards, the negative shrunk by 2.6%. We're in the growth group. We're in the group that shows 19% plus value. In that 19, our rate of increase is 7%, and we are in fifth place in terms of real value, i.e. absolute increase value. This is very important, and it is the industrialists, exporters and producers here today who have achieved this.”

Kocaeli Governor Hüseyin Aksoy also stated that Kocaeli is the city at the heart of the industry in Turkey, and that the city is one of the provinces that contribute the most to Turkey's economy.

Kocaeli Chamber of Industry Board of Directors President Ayhan Zeytinoğlu also explained the city's place and importance in Turkish industry and thanked those who contributed to its organization.