Domestic Organization Meetings

Domestic Organization Meetings

Most esteemed members of our MÜSİAD,

Ladies and gentlemen…

I greet you all with respect and affection

I congratulate you on the Blessed Three Months we have entered together with the new year and on your new year, and I hope that they bring peace and tranquillity to our country above all and to all humanity.

Distinguished Participants,

Today we are experiencing the pride and the joy of coming together once again under the roof of MÜSİAD.

With its mission and its vision, MÜSİAD is not merely an association of business people but at the same time a movement of civilization. As we work for the building of a just world, we are the representatives of a cause that exalts both economic and human values.

On this path that we set out upon saying “High morality, high technology”, we have been working without pause for 35 years in order to earn God's approval and to be of benefit to our nation and to humanity.

MÜSİAD's approach to organization is one of the cornerstones of its success and its influence. With our 84 branches and representative offices at home, we have also established a deep-rooted network in 99 different cities of the world and have formed a structure reaching every corner of our country and of the world. We are a bridge extending from the fertile lands of Anatolia to all four corners of the world. This bridge at the same time represents the determination, the will and the faith of our nation.

As MÜSİAD, with the many events and activities we have organized over the years, we have been engaged in an effort to carry the banner still higher in order to provide new, path-opening sources of motivation in the business world of our country.

With our strong organizational structure, with our International Business Forums, with our MÜSİAD Visionary meetings, with our Power of Türkiye Awards, with our MÜSİAD EXPO Fair, with our MÜSİAD Women International Awareness Summit, with the Young MÜSİAD International Young Entrepreneurship summits and the sectoral meetings we hold, and with the international business summits and organizations we arrange, we always strive to support honest toil and labour.

We know very well that MÜSİAD holds a critical place for the world as much as for Türkiye. Wherever in the world it may be, we will always continue to be the voice of the oppressed and the defender of what is right.

Because our cause is the cause of right and of justice. I believe that with every step we take on this path we will carry this blessed cause still higher. Every one of our brothers and sisters who has come together today is a foot soldier of this blessed cause.

Dear friends,

Türkiye, as a great and strong country, continues to be a hope both for its own citizens and for the oppressed geographies. Overcoming the difficulties, we have arrived at a new beginning, at a new year.

In 2023 we ranked third among the G20 countries with growth of %5.1. This success came about thanks to the determination and the diligence of our nation. However, we also encountered certain difficulties along this path. The tight monetary policy decisions taken in the fight against inflation affected us all.

But let us not forget that difficult times are the harbingers of great victories. In the coming periods we will, God willing, gather the fruits of this patience and this endeavour.

Our recent successes in foreign trade have once again shown the resilience of our economy. While our exports reached USD 238.5 billion in the January-November period, our imports fell by the level of %6.4. This picture brought about a narrowing of our foreign trade deficit by %27. This is the story of a success earned with honest toil.

Perceptions regarding the Turkish economy are also normalizing rapidly. Our risk premiums, which had risen as high as 830 points in 2022, have today fallen back to 260 points. This decline reflects the international community's belief in Türkiye's economy and its future. God willing, we will carry this confidence still further.

Esteemed MÜSİAD Family,

Despite many hardships, Türkiye continues to be a safe harbour in its region as a country that stands upon its own feet, that has attained political and economic stability and that is growing continuously.

The steps taken over the past twenty years are now bearing fruit, and today our country is carrying out enormous moves in every field from the defence industry to energy, from health to tourism.

With its trained human resources, its flexible production capacity, its strategic position and its strong logistics infrastructure, Türkiye is on the eve of a period of great leap forward. If we are patient and determined, we will experience these historic moves all together, and step by step we will, God willing, reach our targets one by one with the vision of the “Century of Türkiye”.

Dear friends,

As we know, owing to its strategic position our country holds an extremely key role not only for the Middle East, Asia and Europe but throughout the whole world. Just as we have seen this in the latest developments in Syria, we can see it in Jerusalem too.

To this end, I believe that the Galata Bridge Action held on the morning of 1 January for Gaza was most meaningful and effective. It reminded the whole world once again of the oppression in Gaza. As MÜSİAD we too took part in the organizing committee and gave serious support to this action. May God be pleased with our brothers and sisters who took part.

I am of the opinion that such meetings and calls are most valuable in terms of emphasizing our unity. We will be strong only and only by coming together and by always bringing production to the foreground. That is why, as MÜSİAD, we emphasize the importance of production at every opportunity and say, “The best boycott is to produce”.

Because we know very well that the more we produce, the more we invest in technology and the more we focus on domestic and national production, the more our economy will surge forward and the greater a say we will have in world politics.

Every step we take today will build the strong and independent Türkiye of tomorrow. May my Lord make our endeavour lasting and our unity enduring.

The sole mortar and leaven of our unity and togetherness will be the bond of brotherhood between us. Our Almighty Lord commands us thus: “And hold firmly to the rope of God all together and do not become divided.” (Al-i Imran, 3/103) And we too, God willing, will be among those who hold fast to the rope of God, God willing.

Esteemed members of MÜSİAD,

Every one of us here has put our signature to very important works under the roof of MÜSİAD. At times taking the hours from our own time, at times from the time of our family and our children, we entered the race of service under this roof. In everything we did, we made it our principle first and foremost to earn God's approval.

At the point we have reached today, in the coming months some of our friends who hold active office at MÜSİAD will hand the banner over to the friends who will newly take office.

Here I would like to remind you once again that MÜSİAD is a relay race of the banner. I thank from the heart everyone who worked with self-sacrifice throughout their term of office, who shed the sweat of their brow and who laboured in order to be of benefit to our homeland and to our nation. And I wish success to our brothers and sisters who will take over this blessed duty.

Let us not forget that the aim of each one of us under this roof is first of all to earn God's approval. On this path we will work with all our strength to carry the banner further in the race of service to our homeland and to our nation.

In the coming period, while handing the banner over to our friends who will newly take office, we will at the same time, God willing, continue to shed the sweat of our brow for MÜSİAD and to strive for our country.

Even if we complete our active duty, God willing we will continue to serve the cause of MÜSİAD in other duties and in other roles for as long as our lives allow. For, as we all know: “MÜSİAD has no retired members, it has only departed ones.”

May God grant us the determination to walk this path and to work, God willing.

As I complete my words, I greet you all with respect and reverence.

May God protect you.

Mahmut Asmalı

President of MÜSİAD