DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS RECEPTION SPEECH TEXT

Distinguished Guests;

I respectfully greet our esteemed consuls, ambassadors and honorary consuls who have honoured the Diplomatic Missions Reception held within the framework of MÜSİAD EXPO 2022, which began today at the TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center and will continue until 5 November, and who shape Türkiye’s commercial relations with different countries through their cooperation; welcome.

Distinguished Guests;

MÜSİAD, a non-profit organization that has worked with great dedication for more than 32 years for the material and moral development of Türkiye, stands out as Türkiye’s most widespread business world civil society organization. Having reached 165 branches and contact points, with 84 at home and 81 abroad, MÜSİAD provides employment for 2 million people through its more than 13 thousand members and the 60 thousand enterprises belonging to them. In this framework, we are Türkiye’s largest capital and cooperation platform on both the local and the global scale.

Our country is at the center of global and regional trade. With its exports to 217 separate countries and regions, we fly our flag in every corner of the world. The fact that our exports have risen not only in volume but also in unit value is the most important proof that we have achieved success in our goal of exporting high value-added products.

With MÜSİAD EXPO, which opens its doors for the 19th time this year, we are realizing a global organization through which we will announce our domestic and national strength to the world, open up to brand-new markets in the triangle of production, investment and exports, and establish dynamic partnerships. Through the collaborations and investment projections that will be realized within the framework of MÜSİAD EXPO, we aim to be instrumental in business connections worth approximately USD 5 billion.

Distinguished Guests,

It must not be forgotten that MÜSİAD is the address where the appeal of Türkiye, the abundance of Anatolia and the effort and determination of the Turkish people come together... Without compromising our motto of ‘High Morality, High Technology’ and without deviating from truth and justice, we are advancing with confident and strong steps.

Our declaration of 2022 as the ‘Year of Investment’ carried the responsibility MÜSİAD bears to a much more advanced level. Together with both our members and the stakeholders with whom we cooperate, we have an important mission in helping Türkiye reach its 2023 targets. In order to spread the production and export power of Türkiye throughout the world, we are assuming an active responsibility with the MÜSİAD International Organization Commission and its members.

Distinguished Guests,

Our Anatolian Production and Investment Movement has reached 30 cities and 50 strategic points. By the end of 2022, we aim to provide employment for 40 thousand people and to realize TRY 40 billion in investment.

Through our Anatolian Economic Diplomacy program, in which we bring together our entrepreneurs, investors and industrialists in Türkiye with the ambassadors of different countries, we are also leading the development of new business and investment models at great speed. We took the ambassador of the UAE to Kayseri, the ambassador of Niger to Çorum, and the ambassador of Hungary to Samsun. Very soon we will also bring the ambassadors of Japan and Switzerland together with our industrialists.

In line with a portion of the projects we have implemented in the international arena and with the requests we have received, we have merged our export-oriented structures under the International Investment Support Office. Thus, we will bring together our industrialists with foreign institutions and organizations that wish to invest in Türkiye. We will continue to contribute to the strong tomorrows of our country with the ideal of a producing Türkiye.

Distinguished Guests;

We will also introduce the MÜSİAD International Investment Support Office – MÜSİAD Invest at the MÜSİAD EXPO Fair. With MÜSİAD Invest, by sharing accurate and sound commercial information and data, we will assume an advisory role. We will guide entrepreneurs who wish to open up to global markets and foreign investors who wish to invest in Türkiye.

At this point, we aim to contribute to the USD 300 billion export target that Türkiye has set for 2023. In the same way, with the MÜSİAD Trade Office we will guide our entrepreneurs and industrialists who wish to open up to international markets. Türkiye, which has further strengthened its logistical position with the mega projects developed over the past 20 years, continues with all its might to be the favourite of investors. We confirmed this interest during our business trip to the United States as well. Specifically for the American region, we have our East Coast Strategy. In logistical terms, our country is closer to the eastern region of America than many countries are. By making good use of this advantage, we will increase our influence in the United States and in the regional market. The target of completing our organization in the G20 countries, which we set out when we took office in September 2021, is also of great importance in this respect. We will shortly put our organization in Mexico into operation and complete this target with our work in Argentina.

Not only in the United States, but also during our business trip to Uzbekistan and in our contacts in European countries, we witnessed a positive picture towards our country. The economic world order that is being reshaped after the pandemic holds great opportunities for Türkiye. Steps taken at the right time will enable us to make the best possible use of these opportunities.

Distinguished Guests,

Within the framework of MÜSİAD EXPO 2022, we have proceeded with a product- and service-oriented approach in bringing together qualified purchasing delegations. Within the framework of the commercial research we conducted as MÜSİAD, we have created a formula that will provide added value to the Turkish economy. By evaluating the requests coming from our members, we will bring our business people together directly with their counterparts in different product and service categories. We will be together with our visitors from 124 countries. We have participants from Europe, Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa, that is, the MENA region. We will host purchasing delegations from more than 60 countries, chiefly Azerbaijan, Russia, China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran and Algeria. In this scope, by coming together with entrepreneurs, investors, industrialists and business people from many countries, we will be instrumental in establishing different partnerships in both the production and the foreign trade process.

Distinguished Guests;

In a 90 thousand square meter fair area, with a 25 thousand square meter stand area, we are hosting more than 100 thousand visitors. With our participants and visitors from 24 different sectors, we will contribute directly to Türkiye reaching the export target it has set for 2023. We have full confidence that the B2B meetings to be held within the framework of MÜSİAD EXPO 2022, which we are realizing with a vision that will shape global and regional trade, will produce positive results. With the 26th International Business Forum and the various events to be organized within the framework of MÜSİAD EXPO 2022, positioned as the heart of commercial diplomacy, we will announce to the whole world the strength that Türkiye possesses along the axis of production and exports.

Distinguished Guests;

At MÜSİAD EXPO 2022, the D8 Ambassadors Summit will also be held for the first time this year with the participation of the D8 ambassadors. In this scope, a memorandum of understanding, an MoU signing ceremony, will also be held. With the events we will organize within the framework of MÜSİAD EXPO, the most comprehensive multi-sector trade fair of Türkiye, we are filled with the excitement of bringing together diplomatic missions from all four corners of the world, our international representatives, and the ambassadors, consuls and honorary consuls in our country with our business people.

Distinguished Guests,

As I conclude my remarks, I extend my thanks to our esteemed consuls, ambassadors and honorary consuls who have honoured the Diplomatic Missions Reception.

With the wish that we may provide added value to the 2023 export target of Türkiye together with the investors, industrialists and entrepreneurs from 124 countries and 24 different sectors and the more than 60 purchasing delegations taking part in MÜSİAD EXPO 2022...

Stay well, may God protect you...

Mahmut Asmalı

President of MÜSİAD