12.09.2019 İstanbul
Implemented in cooperation with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), Facebook and Habitat Association, Facebook Station was inaugurated in Maslak, Istanbul. TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that they want to carry entrepreneurs and SMEs to the digital environment for business, “We aim to digitize the private sector and develop next-generation entrepreneurship. TOBB Turkey Young Entrepreneurs Council is the largest organization in its field and with it, the impact of Station will spread throughout Anatolia. Thanks to them, we aim to reach more than 35,000 people and companies with Facebook Station within the year.”
Attending
the opening of Facebook Station were TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu,
Africa, Middle East and Turkey Facebook Regional Director Ari Keşişoğlu, Facebook
Public Policy EMEA Director of Ebele Okobi, Habitat Association President Sezai
Hazır as well as a large number of guests.
- “We follow every development in
the digital world”
TOBB
President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, pointing out that 93% of Turkey's population
uses mobile devices in his speech at the opening, said, “63% is on social
media. We are among the countries which has the highest use of social media in
the world. We know and follow every development in the digital world. But we
use all these technologies not to improve our business, but mostly for idle
chatter.
We
want to reverse this and move entrepreneurs and SMEs to the digital environment
for business.
Because
that is where the world is headed. Now everyone is shifting their business,
trade, social life into the virtual environment.”
Pointing
out that the world's population is approximately 7.7 billion people,
Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that 5.1 billion people are mobile device users, 4.4
billion people are internet users and 3.5 billion people are social media users.
Stating that all these numbers continue to grow every year much faster than the
world's population growth rate, TOBB President said, “In Europe and America,
95% of the population has access to the internet. On average, 6 hours a day are
spent on the internet. We need to adapt before we miss this change. We reach
the whole world at the touch of a button. As our national poet Mehmet Akif
says: Those who come from behind, crush the sleepers on the road. There is no
right to life for those who stand still. Humanity does not stop. You'll get
crushed if you stop. Here at TOBB the goal which we are working towards is the
digitization of the private sector and the development of next-gen
entrepreneurship.”
- TOBB producing projects with
global technology giants
Underlining
that they are producing projects with the world's largest global technology
companies, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that, with Turkcell, they’ve undertaken the Women
Writing the Future project and provided coding education to 1,800 women.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said: “You have no doubt watched the advertisement of sugar engineer
Zeynep on TV. Together with Coca-Cola, we offer technology and entrepreneurship
training to 9,000 women in 30 cities. We are leading the digital transformation
of our SMEs with Vodafone. We implemented She Means Business Project with
Facebook. We provided digital marketing training to 5,000 women in 20
provinces. We provided training on how sell goods through social media
platforms. Again, we cooperated with Facebook for this facility. Why Facebook?
Because Facebook is the world's largest social platform with more than 2.4
billion users. In 2019, the number of users increased by 200 million. Increasing
by 2.5 times the population of Turkey in just 1 year. There are currently 80
million SMEs worldwide. So Facebook is also a good opportunity for B-2-B and B-2-C
access. As TOBB, we want our entrepreneurs to use this giant platform better.
There is everything that new generation entrepreneurs need. Facebook Station
offers great opportunities to reach information and customers and establish a
network. This place will also facilitate our establishments in opening up to
global markets.
It
will host workshops on digital media. Our entrepreneurs as well as everyone who
so desires it will be trained here in many areas, from cyber security to social
media use and blockchain. They will learn about the tools developed by Facebook
and improve their business. It will also contribute to employment by providing
support to jobseekers. Job Opportunities on Facebook will help our young people
find jobs.”
- Facebook Station will not only
serve Istanbul
Stating
that Facebook Station will not only provided its services in Istanbul,
Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that there will be satellite centers opened in Gaziantep,
Denizli, Samsun, Antalya, Diyarbakir, Izmir, Ankara and Kayseri, hosted by
their Chambers. TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that TOBB Turkey
Young Entrepreneurs Council is the largest organization in its field and with
it, the impact of Station will spread throughout Anatolia to reach more than
35,000 people and companies with Facebook Station within the year.
Stating
that they have started the programs and successfully completed the first
digitization training for SMEs in Istanbul, Hisarckılıoğlu said, “The Station's
programs are open to everyone. And most importantly, all activities here are
free. Training sessions and events will be organized by Facebook and its
partners. It will also be open to people and organizations who want to organize
their own activities. I would like to thank Facebook Turkey managers for their
contribution at this important investment in our country. I hope the Facebook
Station will be beneficial for our country, our entrepreneurs and all our
citizens.”
In
his speech, TOBB Young Entrepreneurs Board President Ali Sabancı thanked those
who contributed to the project. Pointing out that there is a constant change in
the world, Sabancı said that innovation is a must. Stating that there is not
always an easy environment for entrepreneurship, Sabancı said, “Let's stop
complaining and take action.”
US
Turkey Consul General Daria Darnell also congratulated for those who contributed
to the project and shared her evaluations regarding the project.