MÜSİAD EXPO 2024 Opening Speech
26 November 2024
Honourable Vice President,
Esteemed Ministers,
Valued representatives of the business world,
Esteemed members of the press,
Dear members of our MÜSİAD,
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
I greet you all with respect and affection.
Today we are here, carrying the pride of experiencing together this beautiful day on which MÜSİAD EXPO opens its doors for the 20th time.
With MÜSİAD EXPO, Türkiye's largest trade fair, which brings the whole world together, the heart of trade will beat in İstanbul for a whole week.
This gathering is not only a success of MÜSİAD; it is at the same time a mark of Türkiye's rise in world trade, of its determination on the journey towards economic “full independence” and of its unshakable faith in the future.
Therefore, I thank you all for honouring us on this special day, which is as important for our country as it is for the MÜSİAD community, and I greet you with affection.
Distinguished Guests,
Türkiye has been a centre of trade in every period of history. These ancient lands, lying at the heart of the Silk Road, have always been the heart of production, of trade and of creating added value.
Today, as we have done since the very first day of our founding, we are preparing once again to give direction to world trade by bringing this ancient mission together with the requirements of the modern world. And thanks be to God, we are holding the twentieth edition of our MÜSİAD EXPO fair…
This year, on this road we set out upon saying “Global Trade Is Here”, we are hosting participants from a full 94 countries and more than 300 companies from 24 sectors. We are delighted to come together with our participants from strategic sectors such as textiles, machinery, construction, food and the defence industry…
This success is of course no coincidence… It is the work of perseverance, of determination, of hard work and of our goal of being “the gateway of the Turkish business world to the world”.
Valued participants,
At our fair we are not merely organizing an event where trade is discussed; we are also putting forward a vision that gives direction to the future in the light of our deep-rooted past, our beliefs and our values. At this point, the understanding of the “Medina Market”, which we never leave off our lips and which has almost become identified with MÜSİAD, guides us…
As we all know, the spirit of the “Medina Market” is not merely a commercial system but a guide for humanity. Inspired by the Medina Market, that symbol of solidarity, sharing and trust, for years we have been bringing our domestic and foreign business people together around cooperation opportunities founded on justice and trust.
Therefore, we know this very well: throughout our MÜSİAD EXPO fair not only business agreements will be concluded; new bridges of brotherhood will also be built and the foundations of partnerships based on trust will be laid.
For this fair is not only an economic organization for us; it is the strongest indicator of how the entrepreneurial spirit, the beliefs and the values of the Turkish nation are rising today. In the same way, it is an indicator of our “Medina Market” understanding and of the philosophy of “Be upright as you have been commanded!”, as enjoined by our exalted religion, Islam.
Valued Participants,
Another striking feature of our fair is the strength of international participation. Together with the companies taking part from more than 20 countries and our visitors coming from a total of 94 countries, we will once again display the understanding of the “Medina Market”.
This picture shows that MÜSİAD EXPO has become a brand not only in Türkiye but throughout the world. The large delegations coming in particular from Algeria, Iraq, Malaysia and the United Kingdom will provide great momentum in spreading our trade to a global scale.
This year, with the support of our Ministry of Trade, our purchasing delegations are bringing our companies together with investors coming from all four corners of the world. A large group of investors taking part from Malaysia, participation at ministerial level from Iraq, and intensive purchasing delegations from the United Kingdom and Algeria once again demonstrate Türkiye's strategic importance in the business world.
Today there is not a single point left in the world that we have not reached through the MÜSİAD EXPO fair… Since the day it was founded, over 35 years, MÜSİAD has taken root in all four corners of the world; whether through its branches and representative offices, through its members, through the cooperation it has developed or through the international events it has held, it has made great efforts to spread the understanding of the “Medina Market” to all four corners of the world…
We have full confidence that at the end of this fair we will reach our target of USD 1 billion in trade volume.
We are here today not only to do business but to build the future. MÜSİAD EXPO does not merely offer us a platform; it also hands us a key that opens onto exports.
Using this key successfully depends on our own skill and vision. Let us not forget that success becomes possible through courage and determination. We, the participants of the 20th MÜSİAD EXPO, are each of us representatives of that courage!
Distinguished guests,
A full programme awaits us from the first day of MÜSİAD EXPO to the last. With the G20 Panel we will hold important discussions on the world economy. With the Türkiye-Iraq Business Forum we will strengthen the bonds of friendship and trade between the two countries. With the MÜSİAD INVEST programme we will bring international investors together with Turkish entrepreneurs. And at our gala dinner we will reinforce our solidarity with the valued representatives of our business world.
On 29 November we will crown our fair with the presence of our esteemed President. This special moment will ensure that MÜSİAD EXPO 2024 becomes a turning point not only for Türkiye but also for global trade.
For with the spirit of a “Fully Independent Türkiye”, we aim to carry our global vision in trade to a point worthy of our country's entrepreneurial and investment potential.
Distinguished guests, dear MÜSİAD Family,
Under the leadership of our esteemed President, our country has now become not merely a regional power but a global actor.
While a great struggle is being waged in the world economy, we are emerging from that struggle stronger.
Every piece of business we do today at MÜSİAD EXPO is an investment not only in our companies but also in our country's prestige and its future. This fair is a door opening onto the guarantee of Türkiye's economic independence, and today we are all together throwing that door wide open.
Of course, this door does not open onto trade alone… It opens at the same time onto the bond of brotherhood and onto peace.
As we come together here today, we must once again cry out our longing for the bond of brotherhood, for justice and for peace across the world. If today we do not speak of the human tragedy taking place in Gaza and of the oppression to which our Palestinian brothers and sisters are subjected, if we remain silent, we become party to that oppression.
Distinguished Guests, valued business people,
For more than a year, what has been happening in Gaza has been engraved upon the history of humanity as a black stain. On Palestinian soil thousands of people have been slaughtered, with no regard for women, children or the elderly. These massacres have not only extinguished the lives of the innocent; they have also wounded the conscience of humanity.
These attacks carried out by the murderous State of Israel are plainly a crime against humanity.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Imagine a state that has tied its very reason for existence to the annihilation of another nation. This policy of Israel has blown up not only the Palestinian people but peace in the region as well.
Today the cries of our brothers and sisters in Gaza, who are condemned to hunger, driven from their homes and living every day in the fear of death, make the heavens tremble. Yet these cries do not even reach the ears of the international community.
Unfortunately, the world continues to turn a blind eye to this savagery. The International Criminal Court, a year after the events, has only now taken action and issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. This decision has placed on record not only one individual but also the systematic evils of this state of oppression.
This decision is of course an important step. But we all know that this step has come far too late. How many more lives had to be lost? How many more children had to be left orphaned?
This silence, this indifference of the international system can no longer be sustained. As long as there is no effective and timely intervention against those who commit crimes against humanity, these crimes will be repeated. From here we remind everyone once again: justice is not delayed, it is not postponed! If humanity remains silent in the face of this oppression, tomorrow the turn will come for other innocents, for other nations.
The Palestinian cause is the cause not only of the Palestinians but of all humanity. The liberation of Gaza is a precondition for securing peace and justice in the world. This cause is a requirement of our bond of brotherhood. This cause is a requirement of our principle of standing beside the oppressed.
Distinguished Participants,
Today, here, on the occasion of this fair, we call out once again: Gaza is not alone! The Palestinian people are not alone!
As MÜSİAD, we will continue to be the voice of the oppressed on every platform and to stand upright in the face of oppression. History shows us that no regime, no system that has prospered through oppression has remained standing.
The murderous State of Israel will sooner or later be held to account for the crimes against humanity it has committed. We will continue to pursue this cause and to stand firmly beside this oppressed nation.
The decision of the International Criminal Court is an indication that justice has moved, however late. But it is also our duty to follow up whether or not this decision is implemented.
With these feelings and thoughts, I pray to God for mercy upon our martyrs who lost their lives in Gaza and wish a swift recovery to our wounded brothers and sisters. I pray that these dark days may come to an end, and I remind you once again that we will pursue this cause to the very end…
Distinguished Participants,
As I bring my words to a close, I thank everyone who has contributed to bringing this great organization to life. I hope that MÜSİAD EXPO 2024 will bring abundance and success to our country, to our nation and to our business world. I have full confidence that together we will march towards even greater successes.
I respectfully greet you all.
May God protect you.
Mahmut Asmalı
President of MÜSİAD