The MÜSİAD 27th Ordinary General Assembly Programme was held with broad participation at the MÜSİAD Head Office. Speaking at the programme, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı said, "One and together, united as a nation, we believe that we will make a strong, determined and magnificent start to the Century of Türkiye. As the MÜSİAD family, for 33 years we have with this belief always stood by what is right, by truth, by stability and by the national will; we are at the same point now, our stance is clear."

The 27th Ordinary General Assembly of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) was held with the participation of Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Vice Chairman Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Dr. Serdar Çam, Foreign Economic Relations Board Chairman Nail Olpak, İstanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) Chairman Şekib Avdagiç, MÜSİAD Former Presidents Erol Yarar, Ali Bayramoğlu, Ömer Cihad Vardan, Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat and Abdurrahman Kaan, members of parliament, representatives of diplomatic missions, the provincial protocol and MÜSİAD members from Türkiye and from all over the world.

Speaking at the event held at the MÜSİAD Head Office, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı said that behind the achievements MÜSİAD has attained in 33 years lie the 'revolutionary' strategic development moves Türkiye has carried out over the last quarter century. In his assessment, President Asmalı said, "The fruitful march launched from İstanbul by the architect of this silent revolution, our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has today been crowned with force-multiplier mega projects and has brought Türkiye first to the level of a 'Peace-Building Regional Power'; and now to that of a 'Rule-Setting Global Player'. The 'Torch of Conscience and Justice' that our esteemed President has lit throughout the world has grown wave after wave despite all obstructions from within and without; and with the ideals of 'The World Is Bigger Than Five' and 'A More Just World Is Possible' it has become a hope for humanity. To carry this torch to new generations by making it shine even brighter 'in the Century of Türkiye' is a debt of honour for all of us," he said. Also touching upon the projects and works MÜSİAD implemented in the 2021-2023 period, President Asmalı pointed to the importance of the 2022 Year of Investment and of the Anatolian Production and Investment Movement for Türkiye's production power. Emphasizing that MÜSİAD played an active role after the severe Kahramanmaraş-centred earthquakes, President Asmalı said, "God willing, our work for the earthquake region will continue with determination until results are achieved. We will come out of this great disaster having grown, healed and strengthened even further."

MÜSİAD touches social and economic life through its national and international activities

MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı stated that MÜSİAD has touched social and economic life through the events held and the projects implemented during the 2021-2023 period. Stating that they will continue to work for a producing and strong Türkiye through national and international activities, President Asmalı assessed the steps taken to heal the wounds in the disaster region after the disaster of the century.

President Asmalı continued his remarks as follows:

"For two years we have had the honour of carrying the MÜSİAD flag, and we strive to raise it higher with great seriousness, responsibility and sensitivity. With our Ordinary General Assembly held today we will be renewed and strengthened, and we will continue our march with the same love, enthusiasm and determination. Over the past two years, alongside our international organizations such as the International Business Forum, MÜSİAD Visionary'21, MÜSİAD EXPO, the Power of Türkiye Awards and the Turkish-Arab Business Summit, we held thematic summits on energy, agriculture, logistics, textiles, construction, defence, digital transformation and machinery. By launching the Anatolian Production and Investment Movement, we declared 2023 the 'Year of Investment' in line with our country's “Centenary” goals. Within this framework we established and brought to life the 'MÜSİAD Trade Office' and 'MÜSİAD Invest', an 'International Investment Support Office'. We joined forces to create global and major brands and established the Venture Capital Investment Fund. We have largely achieved our goal of establishing MÜSİAD offices in all G20 countries. In addition, we continued our business trips without interruption within the scope of commercial diplomacy activities. Within the framework of our humanitarian diplomacy efforts, we organized humanitarian aid campaigns for Syria and Afghanistan. By completing MÜSİAD Village, consisting of 600 briquette houses in Idlib, Syria, we met the shelter needs of 4,000 people victimized by war. Through the 'Orphan Sponsorship Project' we supported hundreds of orphaned children. From the very first day we supported with all our strength the mobilization of aid and solidarity that began after the 'disaster of the century' caused by the Kahramanmaraş-centred earthquakes, which deeply saddened us all. We mobilized all the units, branches and members of our MÜSİAD, which draws on the wisdom of Anatolia, to serve our people in distress. We dispatched aid supplies to the region in thousands of trucks. In Elbistan, in cooperation with İHH, we completed a container city of 1,200 units, and in Defne, Hatay, we built a field hospital serving 150 people a day. Now we are establishing a new city of 500 containers in Adıyaman. We are constantly designing and implementing new campaigns and new projects so that the region's economy can get back on its feet. We keep alive our time-honoured practices such as the Goodly Loan (Karz-ı Hasen), which means lending interest-free for the sake of God to businesspeople in need, and with our member matching system we make it easier for earthquake-affected businesspeople to re-enter commercial life. Praise be to God, we are healing our wounds by working one and together with our state and our nation. God willing, our work for the earthquake region will continue with determination until results are achieved. We will come out of this great disaster having grown, healed and strengthened even further."

"Examples such as TOGG, TCG Anadolu, İMECE, Kızılelma, Hürjet, Atak 2, MMU and Altay have been a source of pride for our nation"

Stating that Türkiye has come to the fore with the National Technology Initiative and with the policies it has implemented in many fields, above all during the pandemic period, President Asmalı said that projects such as TOGG, TCG Anadolu, İMECE, Kızılelma, Hürjet, Atak 2, MMU and Altay are a great source of pride. President Asmalı said, "Praise be to God, in the Century of Türkiye, which we entered crowned with mega projects, there is now a Türkiye that manufactures its own warship, its own fighter jet and its own tank, that generates electricity from wind and sun, and that produces its own electric car, its own satellite and its own nuclear energy."

In his assessment, the MÜSİAD President made the following statements:

"During the pandemic period, Türkiye once again demonstrated how reliable a supplier it is. Thanks to its wide product range, its dynamic real sector, its geographical advantages and its renewed infrastructure, it made good use of the opportunity that emerged during the pandemic period and launched a new breakthrough process in industry. Industry's share of national income, which stood at 23 percent before the pandemic, has risen to 27 percent. Despite all internal and external shocks, our country has managed to preserve its positive trend in industry. Compared with the pre-pandemic period, there has been an increase of 4 million in total employment and a decrease of 3 points in the unemployment rate. The purchasing managers' index-SAMEKS Composite Index for April, which we announced only 2 days ago, reached its highest level in the last 11 months at 56.3 points, pointing to a highly significant performance for the real sector. Thanks to the timely measures it took and to public supports, Türkiye has been one of the countries that most rapidly shook off the negative effects of the pandemic on the labour market. As we know, the global economy has been undergoing a major transformation for the last 10 years. Our Türkiye is a country with the capacity to turn this global transformation to its own advantage. At this point we have very valuable advantages and potential. The rapid and intelligent reaction of the real sector to new opportunities during the pandemic period is a clear indicator of our potential. Compared with the pre-pandemic period, industry's share of the economy in Türkiye has increased by 4-5 points and total exports by USD 73 billion. Türkiye has proven itself in designing and producing the pioneering technologies of the future, from new-generation defence industry vehicles to the electric car. Examples such as TOGG, TCG Anadolu, İMECE, Kızılelma, Hürjet, Atak 2, MMU and Altay; the extraction and commissioning of our domestic and national gas and the other enormous moves in the field of energy; have been a source of pride for our nation. Praise be to God, in the Century of Türkiye, which we entered crowned with mega projects, there is now a Türkiye that manufactures its own warship, its own fighter jet and its own tank, that generates electricity from wind and sun, and that produces its own electric car, its own satellite and its own nuclear energy. The experience gained from these achievements, compressed into the final period of the Republic's first hundred years, will pave the way for Türkiye to develop far more sophisticated technologies in the coming decades and to increase the domestic content ratio in strategic sectors. Türkiye is a strong geopolitical player, and with the investments it makes in satellite technologies and space research it will also come to the fore as an astropolitical actor in the future."

"We believe that the codes of the new century will be written by Türkiye's enterprising and courageous young people"

Stating that they will act with the awareness that, in Türkiye's new century, 'our independence and our future' depend on embracing 'our roots and our skies'; 'our origin and our progeny', President Asmalı said, "We believe that the codes of the new century will be written by Türkiye's enterprising and courageous young people."

President Asmalı continued his remarks as follows:

"In the 'Century of Türkiye', our economy will break the middle-income trap and rise to the league of high-income developed economies. We will reach this goal by consolidating macro stability, producing high value-added products, developing domestic and national technologies, expanding export opportunities and increasing qualified employment. At this point, it is extremely important that the 'Century of Türkiye' perspective be adopted and embraced by all segments of society, from politicians to the bureaucracy, from the real sector to consumers, from scientists to young people. Such an inclusive synergy will enable Türkiye to climb the steps of the development ladder faster. As MÜSİAD, which is among the foremost representatives of the real sector and of businesspeople in Türkiye, we too attach great importance to stability, development, production, entrepreneurship and innovation. In Türkiye's new century we will act with the awareness that 'our independence and our future' depend on embracing 'our roots and our skies'; 'our origin and our progeny'. We believe that the codes of the new century will be written by Türkiye's enterprising and courageous young people…"

"As the MÜSİAD family, for 33 years we have always stood by what is right, by truth, by stability and by the national will; we are at the same point now, our stance is clear"

Pointing out that Türkiye has implemented revolutionary strategic development moves under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı said, "The fruitful march launched from İstanbul by the architect of this silent revolution, our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has today been crowned with force-multiplier mega projects and has brought Türkiye first to the level of a 'Peace-Building Regional Power'; and now to that of a 'Rule-Setting Global Player'." In his speech, President Asmalı stated that since the day it was founded MÜSİAD has always stood by what is right and by truth, by stability and by the national will, and said, "We are at the same point now, our stance is clear":

"Behind the achievements MÜSİAD has attained in 33 years lie, of course, alongside the courage and effort of our members and the support of our nation, the 'revolutionary' 'strategic development moves' our country has carried out over the last quarter century. The fruitful march launched from İstanbul by the architect of this silent revolution, our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has today been crowned with force-multiplier mega projects and has brought Türkiye first to the level of a 'Peace-Building Regional Power'; and now to that of a 'Rule-Setting Global Player'. The 'Torch of Conscience and Justice' that our esteemed President has lit throughout the world has grown wave after wave despite all obstructions from within and without; and with the ideals of 'The World Is Bigger Than Five' and 'A More Just World Is Possible' it has become a hope for humanity. To carry this torch to new generations by making it shine even brighter 'in the Century of Türkiye' is a debt of honour for all of us. Is not Almighty God the Truth; is 'He' not on the side of what is right? Even if all the centres of evil come together, as they do at present, once Almighty God is with us: no power will be able to prevent us from achieving these goals. As Ziya Paşa said, 'God's decree is not turned aside by the strength of the arm / A candle that the Lord lights cannot be put out by any means'. Under the leadership of our esteemed President, with the manifestation of the national will, the echoes of the struggles waged against centres of tutelage, coup attempts and terrorist organizations, and of the victories won, travel across the continents today; they give excitement to friends and fear to enemies. To see how far Türkiye has come, is it not enough to look from TCG Anadolu, our source of pride, which anchored at Sarayburnu during the Ramadan Feast and adorned the Bosphorus, to Hagia Sophia, from which rise the calls to prayer echoing in the skies of our İstanbul? In the hundredth year of the Republic, can there be a clearer and brighter indicator of independence and power than this? In the 570th Year of the Conquest, how could the trust of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Han be honoured more beautifully than this? However much we give thanks, however much we take pride and however much we protect these gains, it is never enough. Now, in the hundredth year of our Republic, it is time to be one and together, to close ranks and begin a new era of surging forward, and to continue realizing our dreams in the Century of Türkiye... We have not the slightest hesitation at this point. One and together, united as a nation, we believe that we will make a strong, determined and magnificent start to the Century of Türkiye. As the MÜSİAD family, for 33 years we have with this belief always stood by what is right, by truth, by stability and by the national will; we are at the same point now, our stance is clear. May God not let harm come to our nation and our country."