A Türkiye Consultation Meeting themed Gastronomy in the New Century was held by the Services Sector Board of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD), hosted by MÜSİAD Balıkesir. Panel sessions were held at the event, which was attended by Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu, Balıkesir Metropolitan Mayor Yücel Yılmaz and MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı.
The Services Sector Board Türkiye Consultation Meeting titled "Gastronomy in the New Century", held hosted by MÜSİAD Balıkesir, was attended by Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu, Balıkesir Metropolitan Mayor Yücel Yılmaz, MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı, Balıkesir Chamber of Commerce Chairman Rahmi Kula, MÜSİAD Services Sector Board Chairman Ali Tutuk, MÜSİAD Balıkesir Branch President Erdem Özer, political party representatives and national and local members of the press.
A Brand City in the Field of Gastronomy: Balıkesir
Speaking in the opening speeches of the event, Balıkesir Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu noted that Balıkesir has developed itself in the national and international market in the field of gastronomy and said that they aim for a Balıkesir that stands out in exports.
In his speech, Governor Ustaoğlu said: “The work carried out in cooperation with all our institutions so that Balıkesir can become a “Brand City” in the field of gastronomy bears its fruit with each passing day. God willing, we will see this even more clearly in the days ahead. Thanks to the cooperation carried out by our institutions here, the export figures of both our city and our country will develop.”
Balıkesir Mayor Yücel Yılmaz, for his part, emphasized in his speech that Balıkesir has made great marks in the field of gastronomy and the importance of being able to carry these values into the future.
"We believe that great steps have been taken in the field of gastronomy in our Balıkesir, and our sole wish is to keep our cultural heritage alive in order to be able to carry all our values into the future; we continue to pursue our work diligently, and we are introducing our city to the world by making it a brand city in gastronomy.” he said.
Contributing to the Growth of the Turkish Economy: Gastronomy
MÜSİAD President Mahmut Asmalı, who delivered his speech at the Türkiye Consultation Meeting program "themed Gastronomy in the New Century";
“With the “disaster of the century” we experienced right at the beginning of the year, we were left face to face with a major crisis environment. The two great earthquakes centred on Kahramanmaraş on 6 February not only caused a great loss of life but also completely interrupted economic activities in 11 of our provinces in the Eastern region. However, praise be to God, our nation once again showed its greatness and how magnanimous it is. From the first hours of the earthquake it showed great self-sacrifice, straining every nerve. Thankfully, as our state and our nation acted in a spirit of national solidarity during the earthquake process and bound up the wounds, it became possible for the reconstruction and rebuilding of our provinces where the disaster occurred to begin rapidly.
Despite these earthquakes described as a great catastrophe, the Turkish economy, which showed great resilience by growing %4 in the first quarter of the year, sustained this performance in the second quarter of the year as well and, growing at a rate of %3.9, advanced in a positive direction within the global economy. Finally, growing at a rate of %5.9 in the third quarter of the year, the Turkish economy managed to be the 2nd most growing country of the G20 in this period as well.
On the other hand, at such a period in which our country, together with the leading economies, is confronting the problem of inflation and is in a process of monetary tightening, the increase in the growth rate of the Turkish economy is a development that deserves appreciation. Ultimately, it is estimated that price increases will also fall to much more reasonable levels, particularly as of the second half of 2024. “He used these expressions.
Speaking about MÜSİAD's situation in 2023, Mahmut Asmalı said: "MÜSİAD is the most productive, the most important and the most hardworking business world organization in our country. MÜSİAD is domestic and national. MÜSİAD is independent and it transforms the future. MÜSİAD is honest, it observes right and law. MÜSİAD is sincere; above all it says homeland and nation. As MÜSİAD, as we leave 2023 behind, this year too we are leaving behind us very fine works and very lasting undertakings. Praise be to God, while we expand our international and domestic organization with each passing day, on the other hand we add new ones to our work every day with organizations and activities worthy of the name of our MÜSİAD. May God be pleased with everyone who has contributed effort and endeavour."
The Importance of Gastronomy in the Services Sector
Ali Tutuk, Chairman of the Services Sector Board, Who Took the Floor as a Speaker in the Final Part of the Panel, for His Part Emphasized the Following;
Our Services Sector Board holds consultations with its members and stakeholders aimed at developing trade with our enterprises operating in the services sector, increasing cooperation and creating a vision of the future on the line of values. In our country, which possesses a significant gastronomic value thanks to the geographical position Türkiye occupies, the climatic characteristics it has and its hosting of many cultures, these values must be promoted very well. In this direction, by holding our 2023 TÜRKİYE CONSULTATION MEETING with the theme GASTRONOMY IN THE NEW CENTURY, we aim to address the problems in the GASTRONOMY sector, to produce solutions and to convey positive developments to our stakeholders. While setting a vision for the future with our program themed Gastronomy in the New Century, we think it is necessary to open a parenthesis on the subject of food waste, which increases with each passing day; against a process advanced with an unconscious consumption frenzy, we say thrift not waste, holding on not squandering, sharing not being divided. We are the children of a faith and a civilization raised with the understanding of the Halil İbrahim Table, which means a table open to everyone, abundant and blessed. That is why, as MÜSİAD, with sustainable and transformable kitchen and eating habits, we say zero waste and zero refuse.
Following the protocol speeches;
two sessions titled “Geographically Indicated Products in Türkiye", "Their Importance in Terms of Exports and Gastronomy Tourism” and “New Trends in Gastronomy / Sustainability from Production to Consumption” were held.
In general, emphasis was placed on the necessity of the branding of geographically indicated products through correct guidance, on the requirement of acting together for the promotion of Türkiye in gastronomy as well, and on the national participation movement.
In the program to which Chef Ebru Baybara Demir, who received the Basque Culinary World Prize, one of the most prestigious awards of the gastronomy world, was invited as a Special Guest, she shared with the guests her adventure that began in Mardin and the process in which she brought a new breath to gastronomy through a social development movement. Touching on the points that she revitalized tourism and increased women's employment, Baybara completed her speech by talking about natural agriculture and healthy seed practices.
The Türkiye Consultation Meeting titled "Gastronomy in the New Century", at which commercial activities, statistical data, the contribution to tourism and cultural togetherness, food waste and conscious consumption were discussed regarding the field of gastronomy, which continues to increase the importance it holds with each passing day, was met with appreciation because it served to raise the sector's problems, its solutions, its development and social awareness.
