24.02.2020 İstanbul
The ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Entrepreneurship Center established a Regional Office in Istanbul and became a partner in the 'Facebook Station' created in collaboration with TOBB, Facebook and Habitat. With this cooperation, it is aimed to provide businesses in Turkey with access to cross-border markets and to organize a variety of trainings and programs focused on exports. TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed that entrepreneurs have taken an important step to make it easier for them to become active players in global trade.
TOBB
and ICC National Committee Chairman M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Deputy Minister of
Commerce Rıza Tuna Turagay, ICC Secretary General John Denton, Founder and
President of Habitat Association Sezai Hazır, Facebook Middle East, Africa and
Turkey Regional Vice President Derya Matraş attended the signing ceremony.
- Hisarcıklıoğlu’s ‘becoming a
global entrepreneur’ message
The
ICC Entrepreneurship Centre aims to add local companies to the international
network. TOBB and ICC National Committee of Turkey Chairman M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu said at the signing ceremony; While referring to the need to
contribute more to the expansion of entrepreneurship and diversifying
entrepreneurship models, “Only in this way, entrepreneurs in our region can
become players at the global trade level. The way to become an entrepreneur at
the global level can be achieved primarily by becoming a regional
entrepreneurship center with entrepreneurs from the Balkans, Caucasus, Central
Asia, North Africa and gulf countries.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
noting that the entire network of the ICC has come to Istanbul at the global
level with the ICC Entrepreneurship Center Istanbul Regional Office, said, “Within
this global network, there are Chambers of Commerce and Associations and ICC
member international companies from more than 100 countries. It will work to
improve the skills of young people, to help our local entrepreneurs, start-ups,
establish connections globally and increase their relationship. In short, the
global network is now closer to our entrepreneurs with our ICC National
Committee of Turkey and the İstanbul Office of the ICC Entrepreneurship Center.”
Emphasizing
that they see the future of the business world and the country in
entrepreneurship, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu noted that technology has a big
share in young people's entrepreneurship as a career option. Hisarcıklıoğlu, “When
we're building our future, we need to understand the concept of technology
first. Many technologies that are at the center of our lives today were not
invented 10 years ago. On the list of
the world's largest companies, finance and energy companies used to be
predominantly. Now he sees technology initiatives on the global giants list
that have not been in the past 10-15 years.”
- Deputy Minister of Commerce Rıza
Tuna Turagay
Deputy
Trade Minister Rıza Tuna Turagay pointed out in his speech that this
cooperation is a very important step for Turkey, underlining that they care
very much about entrepreneurship offices. Stating that their main task is to increase
exports, Turagay said, “Last year we increased our exports by 2.2%. We are one
of the 8 countries in the world which increased exports by the most value. In
this developing world, we need to increase the number of entrepreneurs by
taking advantage of our digital environment. And for that, these centers are
very important. We have a long way to go.”
Turagay
said that these centers need to raise awareness as much as possible, adding, “There's
a way for businesses to reach new doors. Our people have an entrepreneurial
spirit, but we can't turn it into action. We need to transfer social media to
business more.” Deputy Minister of Commerce Turagay provided information on the
ministry of commerce's projects to increase entrepreneurship and trade, and
stressed that as the Ministry they will always support entrepreneurs.
- ICC Secretary General John Denton
ICC
Secretary General John Denton also mentioned that they have established quality
partnerships all over the world, and said, “One of the most important of these
is the partnerships we have established with Mr. Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB and
Turkish companies.” Denton mentioned that they want to make Istanbul an
entrepreneurial center for the Caucasus and Central Asia.
John
Denton said, “Our goal is to make business opportunities available all over the
world. Let technology work for everyone, improve global quality. We see
entrepreneurship as creating opportunities. To create opportunities for people
who are trying to get by. The ICC is trying to create opportunities for others
in partnership with TOBB. Let the market economy bring its opportunities to
everyone. We need to create mechanisms to make this possible. We want to see
the potential of Turkey's connections. We're going to get people in Istanbul to
find a place to hold on to. We're going to put our strengths in place. We'll build
bridges. To support the entrepreneur, we need to create an ecosystem. The ICC
will achieve what governments are lacking in.”
- Facebook Middle East, Africa and
Turkey Regional Vice President Derya Matraş
Facebook
Middle East, Africa and Turkey Regional Vice President Derya Matraş said, “We
are very happy that we can help SMEs who want to cross borders in partnership
with the Istanbul Regional Office of the ICC Entrepreneurship Center in a wide
range of fields such as foreign trade, law, digital economy, intellectual
property, competition.”
- Habitat Association Founder and
President Sezai Hazır
Habitat
Association Founder and President Sezai Hazır said they believe SMEs who visit
the community center will grow their business abroad after the ICC joined the Facebook,
TOBB and Habitat partnership.