Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

In addition to Hisarcıklıoğlu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Mehmet Kemal Bozay, AK Party Kayseri Deputy and Türkiye - EU Joint Parliamentary Committee Member Murat Cahid Cıngı, Kayseri Governor Gökmen Çiçek, Kayseri Metropolitan Mayor Memduh Büyükkılıç, ambassadors of European Union countries, KTO Chairman Ömer Gülsoy, protocol members and businessmen attended the program held at KTO Conference Hall.

At the Forum, Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed his views on Türkiye-EU relations on the basis of green and digital transformation, highlighting in particular the issues of modernization of the customs union, visa and transport quotas.

- Why are visas not facilitated?

Speaking at the panel on EU’s Support for Green Transformation and Digitalization, the Future of Our Economic Relations between the EU and Türkiye, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said: “I am honored to welcome you in Kayseri, my hometown. Kayseri has been very well dedicated in the presentations a while ago, but I would like to say it again; Kayseri is one of Türkiye’s brand cities in trade, industry and tourism. When we write about Kayseri in all these success stories, it is a city which rose up through its own effort. The state does not have a huge contribution here. Kayseri’s businessmen compete both in profit and in charity. Kayseri knows how to give to the state, never mind take from the state, and in this context, it does it with the motto that is beneficial to people. In all these achievements, my entrepreneur brothers and sisters make us proud. The European Union is Türkiye’s most important trade and investment partner. Türkiye is one of the most important trade partners of many European Union countries. This partnership is very important for both sides. Another issue between Türkiye and the EU is the visa issue. It has become a very serious problem in Türkiye-EU relations. I don’t understand the European Union here either. Why don’t you make visa facilitation to pave the way for businessmen? We export more than 50 percent of our goods from the EU, but Türkiye is also an importer country. The European business world loses the most when we cannot go to the EU. I do not understand why the European Union creates such an obstacle for itself.”

- Kayseri, the apple of Anatolia’s eye

Mehmet Kemal Bozay, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs, said, “Kayseri will adapt to the EU before anyone else with its green transformation and digitalization.”

Speaking at the program, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Mehmet Kemal Bozay said, “Kayseri is a great element of stability in this part of the world. I work in Ankara, but Kayseri is the heart of Anatolia. We are looking at how we can create our biggest trade partner like the EU with Kayseri’s capacity and how we can carry it forward. Believe me, Kayseri will adapt to green transformation and digitalization before anyone else and make the necessary arrangements. We will put our will together to see how much our EU harmonization and EU partnership will be. Kayseri will not have a problem at this point. There are gray areas with the European Union, not black and white. We want to paint them white. We want to use Kayseri’s capacity, Kayseri’s potential while painting this white. Here, my request to the ambassadors is that we look at the bilateral level, we want every issue to be resolved as it is. This is also our request on the visa issue. Let’s decide what to do together.Let Kayseri be an important center on the EU’s path of opening up. In fact, the relationship between Türkiye and the EU, of course, we call it green transformation, digitalization, but we want to act together to overcome the failures of a very different rule-based international order. Because there is the financing of nature here and nature needs to be financed correctly. We have a very large trade with many European countries and I think we need to carry these forward.”

- KTO ready to support to increase cooperation

In his speech, KTO Chairman Ömer Gülsoy said, “I would like to express that the recent developments in Türkiye-European Union relations and the current geopolitical conjuncture offer an important window of opportunity for the progress of relations. I would like to state that I am ready to provide all kinds of support as Kayseri Chamber of Commerce to increase joint investment and cooperation between our European Union companies and our companies in our city. In this direction, our European Union Information Center and project office have held hundreds of panels, meetings and events for 28 years.We are also interested in future EU-funded projects. Türkiye-EU relations continue to be important despite the blockage in the negotiation process in recent years, the effects of different positions in Cyprus, political obstacles and cultural prejudices. In order to ensure the continuity of these relations, it is of great importance to update the Customs Union, which forms the basis of these relations. Studies conducted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye and Eurochambers show that the business community, both in Türkiye and in the EU, is overwhelmingly in favor of updating the Customs Union. Updating the Customs Union will mean solving the problems in relations, deepening and diversifying trade and economic issues. An important issue for the Turkish business community is Türkiye’s inclusion in the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) signed by the EU. Due to the Customs Union, Türkiye is required to sign Free Trade Agreements with countries with which the EU has signed FTAs. However, there are delays and trade diversions in this process. In other words, despite the customs union, there is a mismatch between the trade policies of Türkiye and the EU.”

- “This is the real paradise”

Governor of Kayseri Gökmen Çiçek said in his speech: “I know that our presidents and ambassadors have visited many places in Türkiye and had the opportunity to visit many cities. In the places they visit, the city administrators tell them about the cities and say that this is the most beautiful place in the world, the most beautiful paradise in the world. Now I am also saying something; this is the real paradise. Welcome and enjoy your stay.”

- “Kayseri is a city that has joined the EU in terms of understanding”

Mayor of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Memduh Büyükkılıç said, “Kayseri is known as a city of trade and industry, but most importantly, it is a city that has hosted different civilizations and carries its riches. It is a city that tries to be self-sufficient, never thinks of being a burden on others, and is always adorned with people who are productive and creative with the understanding of being worthy of their country with the understanding of holding people’s hands with their benevolence. Kayseri is a city that has already been part of the European Union since 1958, when our country was holding on to the doors of the European Union. We do not look at it administratively, we look at it as an understanding.”

AK Party Kayseri Deputy Murat Cahid Cıngı said, “My curiosity is this; how can the EU, which cannot provide democratic governance with 15 countries, cope with 27? When there are 30, 31, 32, how will it be able to control the reflection of the decision-making process to the people, how will it be able to cope with this? Because as far as I see, the EU has not yet internalized all 27 countries. When we go there, we see that some practices are in conflict with the practices of the EU countries. It is very normal because it has grown so much. I am also very curious about what will happen with the next expansion and why such an expansion is needed.”

After the speeches, gifts were presented by the protocol members.