04.03.2024 Kayseri
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the “EU-Kayseri Business Forum” organized by Kayseri Chamber of Commerce (KTO).
In addition to
Hisarcıklıoğlu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs
Mehmet Kemal Bozay, AK Party Kayseri Deputy and Türkiye - EU Joint
Parliamentary Committee Member Murat Cahid Cıngı, Kayseri Governor Gökmen
Çiçek, Kayseri Metropolitan Mayor Memduh Büyükkılıç, ambassadors of European
Union countries, KTO Chairman Ömer Gülsoy, protocol members and businessmen
attended the program held at KTO Conference Hall.
At the Forum,
Hisarcıklıoğlu expressed his views on Türkiye-EU relations on the basis of
green and digital transformation, highlighting in particular the issues of
modernization of the customs union, visa and transport quotas.
- Why are visas not facilitated?
Speaking at the panel
on EU’s Support for Green Transformation and Digitalization, the Future of Our
Economic Relations between the EU and Türkiye, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu
said: “I am honored to welcome you in Kayseri, my hometown. Kayseri has been
very well dedicated in the presentations a while ago, but I would like to say
it again; Kayseri is one of Türkiye’s brand cities in trade, industry and
tourism. When we write about Kayseri in all these success stories, it is a city
which rose up through its own effort. The state does not have a huge
contribution here. Kayseri’s businessmen compete both in profit and in charity.
Kayseri knows how to give to the state, never mind take from the state, and in
this context, it does it with the motto that is beneficial to people. In all
these achievements, my entrepreneur brothers and sisters make us proud. The
European Union is Türkiye’s most important trade and investment partner.
Türkiye is one of the most important trade partners of many European Union
countries. This partnership is very important for both sides. Another issue
between Türkiye and the EU is the visa issue. It has become a very serious
problem in Türkiye-EU relations. I don’t understand the European Union here
either. Why don’t you make visa facilitation to pave the way for businessmen?
We export more than 50 percent of our goods from the EU, but Türkiye is also an
importer country. The European business world loses the most when we cannot go
to the EU. I do not understand why the European Union creates such an obstacle
for itself.”
- Kayseri, the apple of Anatolia’s eye
Mehmet Kemal Bozay,
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs, said, “Kayseri
will adapt to the EU before anyone else with its green transformation and
digitalization.”
Speaking at the
program, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Mehmet
Kemal Bozay said, “Kayseri is a great element of stability in this part of the
world. I work in Ankara, but Kayseri is the heart of Anatolia. We are looking
at how we can create our biggest trade partner like the EU with Kayseri’s
capacity and how we can carry it forward. Believe me, Kayseri will adapt to
green transformation and digitalization before anyone else and make the
necessary arrangements. We will put our will together to see how much our EU
harmonization and EU partnership will be. Kayseri will not have a problem at
this point. There are gray areas with the European Union, not black and white.
We want to paint them white. We want to use Kayseri’s capacity, Kayseri’s
potential while painting this white. Here, my request to the ambassadors is
that we look at the bilateral level, we want every issue to be resolved as it
is. This is also our request on the visa issue. Let’s decide what to do
together.Let
Kayseri be an important center on the EU’s path of opening up. In fact, the
relationship between Türkiye and the EU, of course, we call it green
transformation, digitalization, but we want to act together to overcome the
failures of a very different rule-based international order. Because there is
the financing of nature here and nature needs to be financed correctly. We have
a very large trade with many European countries and I think we need to carry
these forward.”
- KTO ready to support to increase cooperation
In his speech, KTO
Chairman Ömer Gülsoy said, “I would like to express that the recent
developments in Türkiye-European Union relations and the current geopolitical
conjuncture offer an important window of opportunity for the progress of
relations. I would like to state that I am ready to provide all kinds of
support as Kayseri Chamber of Commerce to increase joint investment and
cooperation between our European Union companies and our companies in our city.
In this direction, our European Union Information Center and project office
have held hundreds of panels, meetings and events for 28 years.We are also interested in future EU-funded
projects. Türkiye-EU relations continue to be important despite the blockage in
the negotiation process in recent years, the effects of different positions in
Cyprus, political obstacles and cultural prejudices. In order to ensure the
continuity of these relations, it is of great importance to update the Customs
Union, which forms the basis of these relations. Studies conducted by the Union
of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye and Eurochambers show that the
business community, both in Türkiye and in the EU, is overwhelmingly in favor
of updating the Customs Union. Updating the Customs Union will mean solving the
problems in relations, deepening and diversifying trade and economic issues. An
important issue for the Turkish business community is Türkiye’s inclusion in
the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) signed by the EU. Due to the Customs Union,
Türkiye is required to sign Free Trade Agreements with countries with which the
EU has signed FTAs. However, there are delays and trade diversions in this
process. In other words, despite the customs union, there is a mismatch between
the trade policies of Türkiye and the EU.”
- “This is the real paradise”
Governor of Kayseri
Gökmen Çiçek said in his speech: “I know that our presidents and ambassadors
have visited many places in Türkiye and had the opportunity to visit many
cities. In the places they visit, the city administrators tell them about the
cities and say that this is the most beautiful place in the world, the most
beautiful paradise in the world. Now I am also saying something; this is the
real paradise. Welcome and enjoy your stay.”
- “Kayseri is a city that has joined the EU in terms of
understanding”
Mayor of Kayseri
Metropolitan Municipality Memduh Büyükkılıç said, “Kayseri is known as a city
of trade and industry, but most importantly, it is a city that has hosted
different civilizations and carries its riches. It is a city that tries to be
self-sufficient, never thinks of being a burden on others, and is always
adorned with people who are productive and creative with the understanding of
being worthy of their country with the understanding of holding people’s hands
with their benevolence. Kayseri is a city that has already been part of the
European Union since 1958, when our country was holding on to the doors of the
European Union. We do not look at it administratively, we look at it as an
understanding.”
AK Party Kayseri Deputy
Murat Cahid Cıngı said, “My curiosity is this; how can the EU, which cannot
provide democratic governance with 15 countries, cope with 27? When there are
30, 31, 32, how will it be able to control the reflection of the
decision-making process to the people, how will it be able to cope with this?
Because as far as I see, the EU has not yet internalized all 27 countries. When
we go there, we see that some practices are in conflict with the practices of
the EU countries. It is very normal because it has grown so much. I am also
very curious about what will happen with the next expansion and why such an
expansion is needed.”
After the speeches,
gifts were presented by the protocol members.