Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Sabancı Holding Cement Group (Akçansa and Çimsa) Chairman Dr. Tamer Saka was elected as the chairman of the Assembly at the meeting held at TOBB Istanbul branch with the participation of high-level representatives of public institutions, private sector and non-governmental organizations. Ismail Bulut, CEO of the Turkish Cement Manufacturers’ Union, was elected as the Vice Chairman of the Assembly by a unanimous vote.

 

TOBB board member Şaban Aziz Karamehmetoğlu, who informed the members of the Assembly about the work of the sector Assemblies, said that the sector assemblies are not conflicted but reconciled, a structure covering all sides of the sector and a bridging establishment between the public and private sector. TOBB emphasized that they are on the side of the sector in all kinds of challenges that the sector may face.

 

- Appreciation from Saka

 

The President of the Assembly, Dr. Tamer Saka, thanked the members of the assembly and stated that they planned to do good work together with the Assembly in the new term. During the meeting, Dr. Tamer Saka, who made a presentation on the current state of the cement sector, thoroughly evaluated the sector with figures. In the first 5 months of 2019, Saka detailed in the presentation that there was a 47 percent drop in ready mixed concrete production, 32 percent in cement production and 40 percent decrease in cement consumption. And he pointed out that the sector is experiencing contraction. Dr. Tamer Saka stated that export performance is important in 2019 and stated that in the 7-month period of 2019, a total of 43 percent increase in the sector, 516 million dollars of exports were realized. The most exports were to the United States, Ghana, Israel and Ivory Coast, respectively. Dr. Tamer Saka stated that the contribution and production power provided economically will be maintained continuously in order to add value to our country.

 

The meeting was attended by Murat Halit Duruceylan, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs, and Orhan Weaver, Director of Agriculture and Food Facilities Branch of the General Directorate of Environmental Management of the Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning. The views on olive groves were exchanged.