24.12.2016 Antalya
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu spoke at the opening ceremony of the Akdeniz University Manavgat Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tourism Faculty and stated that the economy of a city improves thanks to unity and solidarity, saying that he wants to see this unity and solidarity in Antalya all over Turkey.
The Akdeniz
University Manavgat Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tourism Faculty was opened
with a ceremony attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, TOBB
President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Antalya Governor Münir Karaloğlu, CHP
Antalya PM Deniz Baykal, CHP Deputy Chairman Çetin Osman Budak, MHP Deputy
Chairman Mehmet Günal, Antalya Metropolitan Deputy Mayor Mesut Kocagöz, Rector
of Akdeniz University Dr. Mustafa Ünal, Manavgat Mayor Şükrü Sözen and Manavgat
Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Ahmet Boztaş.
TOBB President
Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that it is his sixth visit to Manavgat, “Thankfully,
every visit has been for a good cause. When we arrived last year, together with
the minister, we laid the foundation of Manavgat CCI Tourism Faculty. This year,
Allah seen fit to allow us to open the facility together.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that this region is the heart of tourism and has Turkey’s highest hosting
capacity with 250,000 beds.
TOBB President reported
that Manavgat hosts a third of all tourists coming to Antalya, “It adds 5
billion USD to the GDP annually. In other words, Manavgat is reducing Turkey's
current deficit by 5 billion USD. If this to be taught in school, it should be done
here first. Here, Manavgat CCI has shouldered the burden. It was very important
for the future of Manavgat; they’ve taken many visionary steps. They’ve
accomplished something which Manavgat has been waiting for a long time. They
worked with such enthusiasm and determination that they completed the work
which was scheduled to finish in 24 months in only 10 months instead. I'm proud
of my chamber. I hope they will become Turkey's number one Tourism Faculty in
little time. Then there is the University. I trust the Manavgat CCI and
management. I am sure they will take on this job as well.”
Responding to questions
on what it is exactly the chambers do, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “This is a step which
will bring 5 million tourists to 15 million to make Manavgat the world's best
tourist destination. This is investing not only in the city, but also in the
future of this country. I would like to thank the Manavgat CCI President Ahmet
Boztaş, the administration and the council.
I thank you not just for
this service. Manavgat CCI has become accredited. It has become a 5-star chamber.
They are in putting in great effort enrich Manavgat. They are integrating the local
values of Manavgat into the economy. Two months ago, I visited YÖREX
personally, the biggest regional fair in Turkey, in Antalya. The minister was also
there. Manavgat's Golden Sesame, Olive Oil, Belenobası Watermelon, Pomegranate,
Daphne and especially the Manavgat Banana which has developed rapidly in the last
2 years, introduced throughout the country. I hope no labor will be lost.
Manavgat, with agriculture and tourism, will reach greater heights.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that there is grace and prosperity in unity; anguish and dissent, “There is a
great unity in all of these endeavors. The Governor, Mayor, the chamber, ruling
and opposition parties, here, together. They’ve brought forth a new achievement
for Manavgat. You guys come together on top of every problem.”
Emphasizing that
Turkey is hopeful for the future, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that, in this most
difficult region of the world, only Turkey has stood for a thousand years; that
they will do the better and that is necessary is to protect this spirit by preserving
unity and solidarity.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
thanked Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu for his work, “He has
worked for years to strengthen Turkey's image and place in Europe. He was the
first Turk elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European
Union. He has undertaken critical missions such as the EU Ministry and Foreign Affairs
Ministry. He is one of the architects of Antalya and Manavgat improving their
relations with Russia, which is of critical importance. You can’t be too proud of
your townsman. He has never become cut off from his land and country. As the Turkish
private sector, whenever we have a demand he has always been with our community.
For example, we have been providing support to the credit guarantee fund for
the tourism sector which has had a difficult time this year. He has stood by every
good work done here. He is here with us again today.”
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Çavuşoğlu
Foreign Minister
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said that they are opening the faculty the foundations of
which they laid a year ago.
Çavuşoğlu thanked
MATSO for its support and achievements and expressed that all obstacles were abolished
when unity and solidarity are achieved; that the construction of the tourism
faculty was completed within ten months.
Stating that Manavgat
shows the difference of Antalya, Cavusoglu, stated that the departments of the tourism
faculties are needed by the Turkish tourism sector.
- Other speakers
CHP Antalya Deputy
Deniz Baykal, Manavgat Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Ahmet Boztas, Manavgat
Mayor Şükrü Sözen and Akdeniz University Rector Dr. Mustafa Ünal
After the
conversation, the plaques were given to the people who worked in the
construction of the faculty and the ribbon was cut.