Hesse Branch Opening

Thursday, 11 January 2024

Esteemed MÜSİAD Family,

Esteemed representatives of our business world,

Valued members of our MÜSİAD,

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

I respectfully greet you all… Welcome, you have brought joy with you…

Dear members of MÜSİAD,

MÜSİAD is a “non-governmental organization” that, with its more than 14 thousand members at home and abroad, represents 60 thousand enterprises and provides employment to approximately 2 million people; that has 85 contact points at home and serves in 81 countries at a total of 174 points with its 95 contact points abroad; that works ceaselessly on the principle of “High Morality, High Technology”; and that carries out intensive “trade diplomacy” activities in the national and international arena.

From the year of its establishment in 1990 to the present day, MÜSİAD has entered into a very strong and effective organizational structure through the branches and representative offices it has opened both in our country and abroad. It has always been a pioneer and a guide in matters of organization.

For one of the most important reasons for MÜSİAD's existence is to establish a strong and lasting organizational structure. Whether at home or abroad, MÜSİAD has always believed in the power of organization in order to raise its contact with its members to the highest level. And it has always acted with this consciousness.

Dear friends,

Today, too, we are experiencing the pride of holding a very fine opening on behalf of our MÜSİAD. We feel great pride and happiness at opening our new office in Hesse. Germany is of course a very important country for us… Both because of the density of the Turkish population here and because of our bilateral commercial relations, over the years we have built up a fairly strong organizational structure in Germany.

At present, 10 of our 26 branches and representative offices across Europe are located in Germany. This is a very considerable number… Thanks be to God, very fine work is being produced through the contributions and efforts of our friends serving here. May God be pleased with everyone who lends a shoulder to MÜSİAD and works for this cause.

Dear members of MÜSİAD,

In this intensive three-day program of ours, which begins with the new office we have opened in Hesse, we plan to broaden our path with several very concrete steps in order to strengthen the channels of coordination and communication in Germany and especially across the geography of Europe. I would like to speak to you about these goals of ours in a few sentences…

In this sense, our priority goal, as I mentioned a moment ago, is to deepen our channels of coordination and communication. By forming a General Administrative Board in Europe, we want to strengthen the communication of all of MÜSİAD's branches and representative offices across Europe.

Our General Administrative Board can lead the strategic planning processes of the branches and representative offices in Europe. In this sense, it can also assume duties such as setting common goals, formulating long-term strategies and following regional developments, as well as evaluating the activities carried out in past terms.

In addition, it can pioneer the development of joint projects that increase cooperation among members and bring out strategic opportunities for regional development. Naturally, this will also serve to strengthen the bond among members and to help our members reach cooperation opportunities more easily.

Another important goal is to gain advantages in coordinating lobbying activities and trade diplomacy in Europe. MÜSİAD's being represented more effectively in Europe will at the same time help our members to communicate more effectively with the business world.

Encouraging the sharing of education and information among members is likewise among our important goals. If we continuously raise the level of knowledge of our members on current issues concerning the business world, our competitive advantage under present conditions will also rise to higher levels.

MÜSİAD, in the words of Mevlana, is very much like a pair of compasses. While one of its legs travels the whole world, the other is fixed in the soil of Anatolia. For our point of reference has always been the geography of Anatolia. Therefore, being in close coordination with the activities of the MÜSİAD Head Office is on our agenda as an important item. Holding simultaneous meetings of our Sector Boards and of the Diplomatic Relations and Organization units together with the Head Office and the International Branch Commissions offers the chance of harmony with the main activities of the MÜSİAD Head Office and of better coordination. Thus a manner of working more in harmony with the strategic goals of the Head Office emerges.

In connection with this, the detailed presentation of the important activities that MÜSİAD will carry out during the year is also among our goals. A detailed presentation can encourage the presidents of our international branches to take part in the activities. Participation in the activities enables branch presidents to follow MÜSİAD's general vision and goals more closely and provides them with the opportunity to develop local strategies in line with these plans.

God willing, as we walk in the direction of these goals, we will have the opportunity to take fruitful steps for our country and our people.

Esteemed MÜSİAD Family,

MÜSİAD has come to this day through the sweat of its brow, through faith, devotion, love of the cause and patience. God willing, by working day and night with even greater determination, with God's permission we will shape the future together as well.

As I conclude my remarks, I thank all those devoted to MÜSİAD who have contributed to bringing our MÜSİAD to this day, from our founding cadre to the newest member to join our family. I pray to God for mercy upon those who have departed from among us.

Dear friends,

I hope that the opening of our Hesse Office will bring goodness above all to the MÜSİAD community, and to our country and our nation.

I greet you all with my most sincere feelings.

May God protect you.

Mahmut Asmalı

President of MÜSİAD