The Türkiye Consultation Meeting, organized by the MÜSİAD Textile, Leather and Ready-Made Clothing Sector Board with the theme "The Future of the Textile Sector in the Century of Türkiye", was held under the hosting of the MÜSİAD Malatya Branch.
The Türkiye Consultation Meeting with the theme ‘The Future of the Textile Sector in the Century of Türkiye’ was held in Malatya with broad participation. The meeting was attended by Deputy Minister of Trade Mahmut Gürcan, MÜSİAD Vice President Burhan Özdemir, Metropolitan Mayor Selahattin Gürkan, MÜSİAD Textile, Leather and Ready-Made Clothing Sector Board Chairman Fatih Canpolat, AK Party Malatya Deputy Abdurrahman Babacan, Battalgazi Mayor Osman Güder, MÜSİAD Malatya Branch President Yunus Akçin and members of the board of directors, representatives of civil society organizations and invited guests.
The programme, which began with the opening and protocol speeches, continued with the panel "The Future of the Sector".
At the panel, where the issues in the field of textiles were addressed comprehensively, İstanbul University Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Sefer Şener, Deputy Director General of Exports Erbülent Kurşun, Fırat Development Agency Secretary General Dr. Abdulvahap Yoğunlu and Palamut Group Chairman of the Board of Directors Recep Palamut shared their assessments. MÜSİAD Malatya Branch President Yunus Akçin stated that Malatya has significant potential in the textile sector and said that the textile sector accounts for 45 percent of employment in the city. Stating that the share of textile products in Türkiye's total exports in 2022 was 5.6 percent, Akçin said: “While the export value of textile products in Malatya was USD 24 million, imports stood at USD 13 million. In the textile sector, the contribution of our Malatya to the country's economy in foreign trade was 0.17 percent.”
MÜSİAD Textile, Leather and Ready-Made Clothing Sector Board Chairman Fatih Canpolat, for his part, emphasized that the textile and ready-made clothing sector is one of the cornerstones of the country's economy and stated: “In recent years the sector has been continuing to grow with technological innovations and sustainable production methods. This growth is making its impact felt both in the domestic market and in the international arena. When we look at the current data, we see that our sector's export performance is extremely positive. With our unit prices of USD 19 per kilogram in ready-made clothing and around USD 5 in textiles, these two sectors of ours are Türkiye's second largest exporting sector; we closed 2022 with exports totalling USD 31.5 billion. This year exports of around USD 22 billion have been realized. The textile and ready-made clothing sector accounts for 12 percent of our total exports.” Taking the floor afterwards, MÜSİAD Vice President Burhan Özdemir began his speech by condemning the attacks on Gaza and this massacre committed against humanity, and cruel Israel, which struck a hospital containing women, children and innocent civilians and which is committing genocide. Stating that on the road embarked upon by 12 businessmen, MÜSİAD has today reached more than 14 thousand members and more than 60 thousand companies at over 170 locations in Türkiye and abroad, Özdemir said that the textile and ready-made clothing sectors, which provide job opportunities to 2 million people, have great potential with an export figure of USD 15 billion despite the many adverse conditions experienced in the January-September period of 2023 this year, and that they continue to contribute to our country's economy and development process through various channels. Türkiye is the world's 5th largest and the European Union's 3rd largest textile and ready-made clothing supplier. I believe that our textile sector will rise to higher steps with new-generation technologies, innovation, sustainable production, environmentally friendly products, high value-added products and other innovations. The experience and foresight of the esteemed expert names attending this meeting of ours today will offer the opportunity to shape the future of the textile sector and to give direction to the sector and to brands.
Taking the floor last, Deputy Minister of Trade Mahmut Gürcan made statements on the world and Türkiye, general export figures, export strategies and targets, the circular economy and sustainable exports, and domestic trade activities. Stating that despite all these adverse developments in the world Türkiye grew by 4 percent in the first quarter of 2023 and by 3.8 percent in the second quarter, Gürcan said: “We expect this performance of our country to continue in the rest of the year as well and to reach a growth rate of over 4 percent across the year. I would like to state that with these values we recorded in the first half of the year we have managed to sustain our uninterrupted growth over the last 12 quarters. As a result of the correct policies that we continue to implement and whose results we have begun to receive, our exports, which stood at USD 36.1 billion in 2002, increased sevenfold at the end of 2022 to reach the level of USD 254.2 billion. Again in this period, our share of world exports rose from the level of 0.5 percent in 2002 to 1.02 percent in 2022 and to 1.04 percent in the first quarter of 2023. In September, with exports of USD 22 billion 670 million, we reached the highest September exports to date. Despite all the adverse developments in the global conjuncture, I would like to state with pleasure that in the January-September period of 2023 we raised our exports to the level of USD 187.4 billion. I extend our thanks to all our producers and exporters who have contributed.”
Pointing out that in a world changed by globalization the meaning of competition has also changed today, Gürcan said: “Our companies must analyse international competitive conditions well, and all sectors must transform themselves in a manner appropriate to the conditions of the new period. In other words, fashion, brand, design, R&D and innovation must be a priority in our companies' export strategies. As the Ministry, while making our support mechanisms in force even more effective in order to reach our short- and long-term targets in exports, we will also continue to design new mechanisms as required by today's competitive conditions. We regard exports as a national matter. With all our strength and at every opportunity we show the utmost effort to stand by our exporters. In the new century of our Republic, we will continue to chart new routes, break records and write history in the Turkish economy and in exports.”
