15.05.2018 Ankara
74th General Assembly of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges Turkey (TOBB) was held with wide participation at the TOBB Economy and Technology University. TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated in his speech that they are confident of the business community, “Our goals are immense. Turkey will be an economic giant of not only its region but of the whole world.”
TOBB President
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that the real power to attain success is through unity
and solidarity, “We focused on 4 main issues throughout this process. First, we
increased the strength and capacity of our Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.
The second issue we focused on was lobbying for our private sector abroad. We
have a say in many global business organizations which we were not even able to
join in the past. We have become a community which advocates the interests of
our private sector all over the world. Our third priority has been to take
initiative in national affairs. Fourth, we generate ideas for the increased
prosperity of Turkey; we are producing projects.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu’s
speech at the TOBB 74th General Assembly is as follows:
“Dear Chairman of the
General Assembly and Presidents of the Council, estimable Chairpersons of the Chambers
and Commodity Exchanges, Chairpersons of the Sector Councils, Secretaries General,
General Assembly Delegates, distinguished Colleagues, distinguished members of the
press, I greet you all with the utmost affection and respect on behalf of my
person and the TOBB Board of Directors.
Welcome to our 74th
General Assembly; you’ve honored us with your presence. I would like to pray
for the grace of Allah upon the dear, departed friends and members of our
community before I begin.
On the other hand, I
strongly condemn Israel's inhuman attack on the people of Palestine yesterday;
may Allah grant his grace upon those who were killed and rapid healing for those
who survived.
We stressed how erroneous
the US administration's decision to move its embassy in Jerusalem to Israel was,
ignoring international law.
Unfortunately, deaths
in Gaza have made our region, already tense, even more volatile.
We can never accept
these attacks.
Palestine and
Jerusalem are not alone.
On Friday, along with
President Erdoğan, our Prime Minister and our Ministers, we presented the Service
Commendations for our friends who have served for several decades.
Tomorrow, blessed
Ramadan begins.
I pray that Ramadan
is fortuitous for our country and the Muslim world.
May it bring peace, brotherhood
and tranquility.
Estimable Presidents,
Distinguished Delegates,
We are finishing a
long election period which began the elections of our Chambers and Commodity
Exchanges.
You’ve passed the
democracy test successfully.
You’ve earned the
right to represent the private sector.
You have been chosen
by hundreds of thousands of merchants, industrialists all over the country.
You're here with the
power of democracy and the ballot.
During the elections,
42% of the Chairpersons and 50% of council members of Chambers and the Commodity
Exchanges have changed.
I heartily
congratulate all the chairpersons and board members elected.
I am pleased to
welcome the newly elected president and delegates who are new members of this
great family.
Dear friends,
I feel peace and
happiness in having successfully completed a challenging period.
Praise be to Almighty
for having made this possible.
In the term between
2013 and 2018, we launched many projects which both served our members and
contributed to our country's economy.
You’ve just watched
the presentation.
All these activities,
all these achievements are the result of your labors and your efforts.
Whatever we did, what
we succeeded in, we took our power from you, we did it with your support.
We are united,
greater and more vigorous.
Our voice thunders.
Standing united, we
overcame the obstacles in our way; we forged new paths.
With the Akhi motto
of, ‘the straight arrow flies true,’ we flew true.
We protected the
rights and laws of our country, our nation, our community.
We never
discriminated under this roof.
We opened our hearts
and minds to different voices, different thoughts.
We always adhered to
the tenet that consultation is tradition.
We became the voice and
the heart of Anatolia.
This unity is your work.
I congratulate each
of you individually and express my deepest gratitude.
I am deeply grateful
to all our friends and associates in the Board of Directors, in our Councils,
in our Committees and in our Commissions.
Dear friends,
In this process we
focused on 4 main issues.
First, we increased
the power and capacity of our Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.
The time when you
would go from door to door to establish a company is over.
We have transformed
our chambers into one-stop-shops for company establishment.
In our Chambers and
Commodity Exchange, we achieved digital transformation.
We've made it so that
all operations can be made with a single keystroke.
All of our chambers took
on responsibility. Our Organized Industrial Zones developed and industry spread
throughout Anatolia.
Our Commodity
Exchanges brought electronic sales halls, accredited laboratories and livestock
exchanges to the service of the real sector.
Until recently we had
no personnel with foreign language skills.
Today, Chambers and Commodity
Exchanges have become signatories to international projects.
We are obtaining resources
from abroad and working with European Chambers.
The number of accredited
chambers and exchanges increases every year.
At present, 269 Chambers
and Exchanges are accredited, 5-starred.
They have been
certified with the same service, same quality as the best Chambers in Europe.
Today, Turkish
Chamber-Commodity Exchange system is one of the three most advanced Chamber-Exchange
systems that serve the most members in the world.
Abroad they say that if
you want the private sector in your country to develop, establish a
Chamber/Exchange system similar in structure to that of Turkey.
This honor, this
pride, your success is yours.
I sincerely applaud
you, the Chamber and Exchange Chairpersons, administrations, Council
Presidents, Councils, Occupation Committees and the Secretaries General, all of
you in this sail, for working day and night without a single centime in return for
your nation and country, dedicating yourselves to the growth and development of
this community.
Thank you!
The second issue we
focused on was lobbying for our private sector abroad.
We have a say in many
global business organizations which we were not even able to join in the past.
We have become a
community which advocates the interests of our private sector all over the
world.
The world's largest
business organization, the International Chamber of Commerce, Europe's largest
business organization EUROCHAMBRES, the Islamic business organization Islamic
Commerce-Industry Chamber, the Asia-Pacific Confederation.
Through elections we
have joined all of them. We are the voice of the Turkish business world.
Our third priority
has been to take initiative in national affairs.
In the treacherous
coup d'état attempt on July 15th, as soon as heard the coup d'état declaration,
we reacted.
We declared that: ‘We
reject this coup. We stand with the elected legitimate government.’
We invited all our
members to take to the streets and defend democracy.
In the period of
increased terrorist attacks, we organized Turkey’s largest march with to say, ‘no
to terrorism; yes to solidarity.’
We went to the frontlines
and showed our support for our government during Operation Olive Brach in Afrin.
I will say it again:
This community will always
stand by its government and nation.
Fourth, we generate
ideas for the increased prosperity of Turkey; we are producing projects.
In every important issue,
this community has been asked to contribute.
This was the case
with Employment Mobilization, with facilitation of access to financial tools, in
Turkey's Automobile.
This is respect; it
is power.
This is the power of
the Turkish private sector. This is the power of our Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.
This is the power of the
Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey.
We know that your
prosperity is Turkey’s prosperity.
With this knowledge,
we have taken many steps to solve the problems of our members.
Vocational training
was a major challenge.
For the first time,
the private sector has become a party in vocational education through our
Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.
We have been vouched
for 35bn EUR for international transportation so that our companies can export
more.
We have become the
largest TIR carrier in the world.
We've modernized all of
our large land customs gates.
Through the Credit
Guarantee Fund, we made it easier for SMEs to access financing.
We vouched for our
members.
With the TOBB Respite
Credit, our SMEs received loans with the lowest interest rate ever applied.
Approximately 700,000
of our members have access to affordable credit.
My dear friends,
We have saying in our
culture: Do not exacerbate; facilitate.
We have identified
the obstacles facing the business and investment environment and removed them
together with the government.
We have made it
possible to reduce employment costs, the subject of many complaints.
The legislation on
occupational health and safety brought great burdens to our SMEs of which we
liberated them.
We also took immediate
initiative in regards to Vocational Qualification.
We have provided examination
and certification services 81 provinces pertaining to hazardous professions.
Confidence in cheques
was lost.
Here again, we accomplished
a first.
We implemented the
QR-coded cheques to reestablish confidence in cheques.
We ensured reduced
real estate tax burden on the industrialists.
In real-estate, home
appliances and furniture taxes were lowered with our suggestion.
Air and cruise travel
support for the tourism sector was implemented through our request.
We had our insurance
agencies covered by the SME.
We have narrowed the
scope of the stamp tax which we have always complained about and have been
demanding for years.
For the taxpayer who
regularly pay their taxes, a 5% tax reduction has finally been introduced.
We also started work on
our demand for VAT receivables.
We expect this to happen.
A 50-year dream in agriculture
has become a reality.
We have launched the
Licensed Warehousing System.
We took the first
step for the Specialized Commodity Exchanges.
Another area where we
suffered great distress was the judicial system.
Especially in the
cases of the Labor Courts, 99% of which unfairly punished employers.
In order to address this,
the mandatory mediation system was put into practice.
Cases which lasted months,
even years, are now resolved in days and weeks.
With this in mind, I
would like to thank the President, Prime Minister, Ministers and the TGNA who
have always supported us, as well as our bureaucrats who worked together with
us on behalf of our community.
My dear friends,
Praise Allah, all
these endeavors have yielded results.
Despite terrorist
organization attacks domestically and internationally, our private sector has
worked and produced.
Turkey's economy
showed rapid recovery and growth.
Members of Chambers
and Commodity Exchanges wrote a new success story last year.
We provided 1.5
million additional jobs.
We invested 327bn TRY
in machinery and equipment.
We exported goods
worth 160bn USD.
We have gained 44bn
USD in tourism and transportation revenues.
We showed the whole
world what this nation could do.
We managed all of
this with you.
We were successful through
the modern vision shown by our Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.
For this reason, I
thank and celebrate each representative of the Turkish private sector filling
this hall!
Dear friends,
Are there no problems?
Of course there are.
We are aware of them
and we discuss them with the government and work to solve them.
After the June 24th
elections, we will strive to follow and conclude them.
We have a lot of work
to do.
The business community
has to run faster to get our country where it deserves.
In order for the
business world to run faster, we have to forge ahead and pave the way.
We will open
Arbitration and Mediation Centers in our Chambers and Commodity Exchanges.
We will spread our
products with geographical signs and halal food certificates first in our
country and then in the world.
We will complete our promise
of schools for all 81 provinces and start construction of new schools for the
160 counties where our Chambers and Commodity Exchanges are located.
We will work harder in
the new period, work faster and work more efficiently.
First, we must
transform our SMEs into global SMEs.
With Industry 4.0 we
have to take our industry to the next level.
We must ensure domestic
production and imports of smart and high quality products produced in Turkey.
We must enter new
markets with new products by launching an e-commerce and e-export drive.
Turkey should become the
entrepreneurial base of this region.
We must make the
vocational education system fully integrated with the private sector in order
to address the need for qualified personnel.
We are ready to do
our part for these goals.
Distinguished
Presidents and Delegates,
Together with you
until today, we have many dreams into reality.
We will turn many
things which seem as far away as dreams today into reality tomorrow.
We will never yield to
despair.
We will push away
dissent.
We will not alienate anybody;
we will not see anyone as the ‘other’.
All will accept our
differences as richness, Turkey will grow even more with this wealth.
We have confidence in
ourselves.
Our goals are great.
Turkey will be an
economic giant of not only its region but of the whole world.
The greater share of international
contractors in the world will come from Turkey.
Turkish logistics will
carry the most cargo.
Turkish hotels will
host the greatest number of tourists.
Turkish retailers
will have distribution networks around the world.
Turkey will be a
country that exports the highest number of industrial goods.
Everywhere in our region,
we will have projects and investments.
Turkish farmers will
feed not only our country but the whole world.
Turkish goods will be
preferred for their quality, not price.
International
investors will be in line to partner with Turkish companies.
At least one Turkish
commodity will be used in every house in the world.
My very precious
companions,
This country,
entrusted unto us by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and our noble martyrs, will rise on
all of our shoulders and become a global leader again.
We will all do it together.
Because the real
power which will lead us to success is our unity.
I am honored to be
your co-worker.
Allah grant that our
hearts be rich, our labors and efforts fruitful, our nation united and
vigorous, our brotherhood perpetual.
We're open, open for
the moment.
May our path and
fortunes be clear.
May Allah be our
helper and companion.”