23.12.2021 Gaziantep
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said that they wish to establish an ecosystem that hosts initiatives opened to the world at the G3 Forum, which brings together entrepreneurial and entrepreneurial candidates in Gaziantep.
The Future Power
Entrepreneurs Forum (G3 Forum) was held at Şahinbey Congress and Arts Center
hosted by Gaziantep Chamber of Industry, Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce and
Gaziantep Commodity Exchange with the coordination of TOBB, Habitat Association
and GEN Turkey.
In the opening session
of the forum, which was held with the “It's Time for Entrepreneurship” theme,
Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül, Gaziantep Metropolitan Mayor Fatma Sahin, TOBB
President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB Young Entrepreneurs Council President
and GEN Turkey Board Member Ali Sabancı, GEN Turkey Chair Nevzat Aydın and G3
Platform President and GEN Turkey Vice President Gülden Yılmaz speeches.
TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu
said at the forum that entrepreneurship is important both for individuals and
for the enrichment of the country.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that the importance and attractiveness of entrepreneurship has increased in the
world and in Turkey, and that more than 150 new initiatives and over $1.5
billion have been invested in this year alone.
Noting that mobile
games are the first among the most downloaded applications in the world,
Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that the sector with the most new initiatives in Turkey's
entrepreneurship ecosystem is the gaming sector that receives the most
investment.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that Turkey's unicorn number has reached 5 and said that they expect this to
double and find double digits.
Hisarcıklıoğlu noted
that Turkey's most valuable companies today receive a new generation of
startups and technology companies, noting:
“Getir, another new
venture that blends technology with Trendyol, a 10-year e-commerce platform
that is now the most valuable company in our country, has reached greater value
than all our holdings and has become a brand and known in the world. For all
these reasons, as TOBB, we want to establish an ecosystem in Turkey that not
only monitors initiatives abroad, but also hosts initiatives that open up to
the world. We dream of a Turkey that raises individuals who are part of the
entrepreneurship ecosystem, supports these entrepreneurs and brings its
competitiveness to the global with an innovative culture. Because in this
century, we see that the most important condition for existence in the global
arena is entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial country. Starting a business
means being an entrepreneur, crossing old boundaries and leading innovation.
Entrepreneurship is to realize the opportunities that the right people see at
the right time, in the right place. It is very important to dream for
entrepreneurship. It's the only area where we don't have limits. If you stop
imagining, you stop living. Innovation is bringing new customs to the old
village. It's doing what's not done. Or doing what is done in a new way. But a person
who isn't brave can't be an entrepreneur. You shouldn't be afraid to take
risks.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that the pandemic brings new opportunities in addition to many difficulties,
and stated that its technological transformation, which would have taken
decades, has been experienced in 1 year.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that digitalization and e-commerce have gained importance all over the world
and noted that all this is happening with the next generation of initiatives.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that as TOBB, they aim to digitize the private sector and develop the next
generation of entrepreneurship.
“We prepare companies
and entrepreneurs for the digital world. In this context, we produce projects
to move SMEs to digital environment and to improve their technological
infrastructure. For example, we have implemented the Smart SME Platform, Turkey's
digitalization base. We provide all the guidance they need to our SMEs who want
to digitalize and bring them together with digital transformation products and
services. We work with Vodafone, one of the largest global technology companies
in the world. Together, we prepare SMEs for the digital world with The
Technology Meetings of Turkey and the Digital Transformation Movement. We want
to improve not only the e-commerce from the company to the consumer, but also
from the company to the company.”
- Other speakers
Ali Sabancı, President of
the Young Entrepreneurs Council, stated that when they started these jobs 10
years ago, they aimed to pave the way for young people and increase
entrepreneurship.
Referring to the
achievements related to entrepreneurship, Sabancı said, “Nevzat Aydın, the
founder of Yemeksepeti, came to the group where I worked many years ago. He was
looking for an investor. It didn't even reach me. Then no one in the group I
worked in believed that Yemeksepeti would be a business model. I'm proud to be
able to sit next to you. Getir came along three years ago. I said, there's no
such business model. Three years later, it grew five times the value,” he said.
Sabancı stated that not
everyone was born with a golden spoon like himself, but others struggled to eat
with a golden spoon, and as he observed in the programs during the day, the
entrepreneurship has taken hold.
Nevzat Aydın, founder
of Yemeksepeti and Chairman of GEN Turkey, expressed his satisfaction in
meeting with entrepreneurial young people.
Aydın stated that
successful entrepreneurs should put their hands up for the dissemination and
development of entrepreneurship. “It is obvious that young entrepreneurs need
our experience. Although new initiatives have increased in our country, we
have not yet reached the same level as the world. In order to reach the desired
point, every part of the entrepreneurship ecosystem needs to work properly. If
we can create an ecosystem that feeds itself that works for entrepreneurship,
we can grow our successes with a multiplier effect. We are carrying out
national international collaborations to strengthen the entrepreneurship
ecosystem.”
Gaziantep Chamber of
Industry President Adnan Ünverdi stated that the city is a center of attraction
with industry, trade, gastronomy, health and tourism, and is also a role model
in production, exports and employment.
Noting that they set a
record with 8 billion dollars of exports in 2020, Ünverdi stated that they
exported 9.128 billion dollars in the first 11 months of this year and that
they will have reached the export target of 10 billion dollars by the end of
this year.
Gaziantep Chamber of
Commerce President Tuncay Yıldırım noted that the city was a city that had
fought war, poverty and risen from the ashes.
Yıldırım stated that
history will note those who do not give up, and underlined that the biggest
example of this is Gaziantep, and that it is necessary to be a designer of the
future, not audience, to make a mark.
Gaziantep Commodity
Exchange President Mehmet Akıncı expressed his satisfaction that the form is in
Gaziantep and stated that the city is a city that produces in all conditions
and realizes its goals without giving up.
The forum, which was
attended by Governor Davut Gül and AK Party Gaziantep MP Nejat Koçer, as well
as many interested parties, continued with various sessions.