SPEECH AT THE HASBİHAL MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

SPEECH AT THE HASBİHAL MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

Honourable Members of Parliament,

Esteemed MÜSİAD Branch Presidents,

Esteemed members of our MÜSİAD family,

Within the scope of the “Hasbihal Meeting with Members of Parliament” organized by MÜSİAD, I feel great honour at being together with our esteemed members of parliament, who take the pulse of Türkiye’s different cities, who give voice to the conscience of our nation, and who, by analysing the development opportunities in every region, accelerate the process of advancing towards far brighter tomorrows; and I greet all our guests with respect and affection. Welcome, you have honoured us.

Esteemed Members of Parliament;

MÜSİAD is moving forward by undertaking very important projects, not only for Türkiye’s economic and social development but also for its becoming a global player. We are carrying into the future, with determination, resolve and faith, the flag we took over after MÜSİAD’s 26th Ordinary General Assembly held on 11 September 2021.

In order to carry Türkiye’s economic strength, investment potential, production volume and export vision confidently into the future, to raise the welfare level of our people and to contribute to our country’s achievement of its 2023 targets, we declared 2022 the “Year of Investment”. And in order to realize our targets one by one, we put into effect our 7-item strategy plan.

We designed a comprehensive action plan comprising the strengthening of MÜSİAD offices in all of the G20 countries and the increase of commercial diplomacy, the establishment of the Arab Businessmen Liaison Office, the organization of at least one MÜSİAD EXPO Fair abroad, the establishment of the MÜSİAD International Arbitration Centre, support for micro exports and, in this direction, the strengthening of every member’s infrastructure processes such as logistics, human resources and payment systems, the bringing together of ambassadors and commercial attachés with business people in Anatolia through economic diplomacy activities, and the establishment of the MÜSİAD Trade Office (MTO).

Praise be to God, we have realized the greater part of our targets. While our capacity expands horizontally and vertically, our field of activity gains ever greater depth. The establishment of the MÜSİAD Trade Office and the Arab Businessmen Liaison Office is the most important reflection of MÜSİAD’s global vision... Our faith is complete that we will realize our export targets for new markets with our qualified employment strength, our innovative entrepreneurs, our investors and our well-equipped young people.

Distinguished Guests;

Türkiye, which managed its supply chain processes flawlessly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, is moving forward by reinforcing its strategy of becoming a prominent global crossroads in the context of the logistics sector with its goal of becoming a centre of production and investment.

The MÜSİAD Trade Office, which is accelerating the process of properly promoting the investment areas in Türkiye and of producing pioneering reports for the development of production sites, is one of the important steps taken along this path... In the near future, in export-oriented trade, by opening up to brand-new foreign markets through new national and international forms of cooperation, we will both distinguish Türkiye positively in every field and easily surpass the export target of USD 250 billion set for 2023. In this context, we will continue to produce reports containing realistic field information that will guide our business people and to place them at their service.

The International Arbitration Centre, brought to life with this faith and this outlook, has an important role in enabling Türkiye to come to the fore by a clear margin in international trade, in strengthening the international growth potential of world trade centred on our country, and in strengthening trade in an efficient environment on the basis of law.

Esteemed Members of Parliament;

Giving impetus to regional development is among our most important priorities, as much as strengthening Türkiye in the global arena. For this reason we will support to the very end the enterprises and entrepreneurs that give direction to the development of every city and every region of Türkiye. With our Anatolian Economic Diplomacy approach, which supports this vision, we have captured an extremely productive and sustainable synergy.

Within the framework of the Anatolian Economic Diplomacy programmes we held in Çorum and Kayseri, we brought the Ankara ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria together with our business people. In the coming period we will bring ambassadors from different countries together with our business people in Denizli and Mersin. We will continue to announce the potential and the production capacity of Türkiye’s 81 provinces to new foreign markets and to undertake new forms of cooperation. This fertile wind will be the means by which our business people cross borders.

Another innovative initiative of ours that will crown regional development is the Anatolian Production and Investment Movement... Türkiye began 2022 with positive momentum. The realization of the right investments through the right forms of cooperation and their ability to provide added value in the production-export balance is directly proportional to making this action plan sustainable...

Esteemed Members of Parliament;

With the Anatolian Production and Investment Movement, which we launched in order to define needs correctly, to analyse opportunities and to develop strategies capable of carrying Türkiye towards far brighter tomorrows, MÜSİAD members made TRY 25 billion of investment in 2022.

With the investments made and to be made in more than 20 cities, in provinces, at 40 different locations, we will rapidly broaden and deepen the sphere of influence of the Anatolian Production and Investment Movement. The employment of 25,000 people as a result of these investments will carry the bar of quality service to far higher points.

Distinguished guests;

One of the most important initiatives that will contribute to our export-oriented growth targets is the MÜSİAD EXPO 2022 Trade Fair... Through this fair we are designing a widespread and sustainable trade network that will unite continents. We are determined to announce the production potential of the Anatolian lands to all four corners of the world. God willing, we will together sow across the face of the earth the seeds of abundance we have multiplied in the light of our civilization.

We are moving the Turkish-Arab Business Summit, to be held between 10 and 13 June, from İstanbul to Gaziantep this year. Thus we will become the pioneer of a new order shaped by regional dynamics in our export vision. MÜSİAD EXPO 2022, planned to be held between 2 and 5 November, will, with global cooperation and innovative investment opportunities and possibilities, be the means by which Türkiye surpasses its export targets.

Towards the hundredth year of our Republic, together we will carry our Türkiye, a country of peace and stability, to far greater heights under the strong political leadership of our President. God willing, we will raise the welfare level of our noble nation. We believe this wholeheartedly.

As I bring my words to an end, I respectfully greet our esteemed members of parliament who are with us at the MÜSİAD Hasbihal Meeting with Members of Parliament.

I hope that we will be able to build a far brighter future together with our esteemed stakeholders, who advance with the awareness that one must prepare today for tomorrow and who produce innovative solutions with collective wisdom in production, in exports, in productivity and in advanced technology integration.

Mahmut Asmalı

President of MÜSİAD