Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

Speaking at the opening, Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed his pleasure at witnessing the opening of the modern service building and wished that the investment would be beneficial for both the institution and the city.

Emphasizing the importance of international evaluations, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated, “Just as there is a star-rating system for hotels around the world, there is a star-rating system used by chambers in 200 countries to measure the quality of their services. We exist not to collect dues, but quite the opposite, to serve. We said, ‘We will undergo this evaluation,’ and we did. Today, an internationally accredited organization has awarded the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry a 5-star rating for the quality of its services. The quality and standard of the services provided by the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry to its members have surpassed even the minimum standards of chambers in Paris, Berlin, and London.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that, in addition to EBSO, the İzmir Chamber of Commerce and the İzmir Commodity Exchange also provide five-star services to their members.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, noting that throughout history, İzmir has been a center of production and trade in Anatolia and has stood out as the gateway to the world, stated that with its 17 organized industrial zones, 5 industrial zones, 6 technology parks, 103 R&D centers, and 28 design centers, İzmir is one of Türkiye’s leading cities in production and technology.

Pointing out that İzmir possesses a strong manufacturing infrastructure, Hisarcıklıoğlu continued his speech as follows: “We brought together the Governor of the Central Bank, the CEOs of three public banks, and representatives from our chamber and stock exchange communities. Our concern is this: these credit restrictions and high interest rates are particularly eroding the profitability of the private sector. Either we cannot access credit, Without credit, we cannot produce. That is why we have conveyed these concerns, our legislation grants us this authority, and explained the situation. Allah willing, they will resolve them. We have been conveying this to our President for a long time. May Allah be pleased with him; he announced it at the beginning of this week: a new 1 trillion lira investment package for the manufacturing industry. This has become a great source of hope for our industrialists and our fellow members who plan to invest. Because we’ve been demanding this for a long time. Once again, as TOBB, we are the first organization in the world to act as a guarantor for our members. There’s no one else in the world who acts as a guarantor for their members. During these difficult times, we’ve acted as guarantors for approximately 600,000 of our members to date.”

Governor Süleyman Elban, meanwhile, noted that global competition in the fields of science, industry, and trade is intensifying day by day, and warned that failing to closely monitor these developments could lead to falling behind in the competition; he explained that relevant organizations, particularly chambers of commerce and stock exchanges, have important roles to play in this process.

İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Cemil Tugay also emphasized that industry is driven by the desire to produce, operates in a competitive environment, and strives to improve itself and remain viable by closely following constant global changes; he stated that, as local governments, they continue to support industrialists.

EBSO Board of Directors Chairman Ender Yorgancılar noted that they were proud of the new service building they had secured for the chamber and expressed his belief that the incoming administration would also carry out important initiatives in the coming period. Stating that they have always prioritized the institution’s identity over personal interests, Yorgancılar added that he would be stepping down from his position as board chairman at the end of this term and would not be running for re-election.

Following the speeches, the dignitaries cut the ribbon to officially open the new service building.

(A.A.)