Representatives of Ankara's economy came together at the "Industry and Trade in Ankara During the Pandemic" meeting, organized by the Ankara City Council Industry and Trade Working Group.
The online meeting was attended by Faik Yavuz, Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ankara Commodity Exchange (ATB); Gürsel Baran, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO); Nurettin Özdebir, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO); Orhan Aydın, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OSTİM; Sıtkı Öztuna, Vice Chairman of OSTİM; and many other business people.
The meeting, moderated by Süleyman Ekinci, President of the OSTİM Industrialists and Businessmen Association (OSIAD), Spokesperson of the Industry and Trade Working Group, and Member of the ATO Board of Directors, brought together industry and trade representatives in Ankara to discuss the work they carried out for their sectors during the pandemic and potential future projects and ideas.
“Let’s open our businesses with HES codes”
ATO President Gürsel Baran stated that during the pandemic, ATO worked to protect the rights and interests of its members.
Baran, reminding that most businesses temporarily ceased operations to prevent the rapid spread of the pandemic, and that businesses with ongoing rent and other expenses faced significant difficulties due to lack of revenue, stated, “The closed firms are operating with only a very small volume of business, relying on takeaway and delivery services. I request that these businesses be reopened using HES codes. Let our government set the rules, and let's do everything necessary. Let's comply with everything, including masks, distance between tables, and temperature checks. Let's severely punish those who do not comply with these rules, but please, let's not force more than 15,000 businesses to close their doors. Please support us, let's reopen these businesses with HES codes.”
“We must show the world our face as producers”
Nurettin Özdebir, Chairman of the ASO Board of Directors, noted that production has been significantly affected due to problems in the transportation of products coming from abroad.
Özdebir stated that producing the imported products in Turkey could be a solution to the problem, and added that they would be discussing this matter with the Presidency's Strategy and Budget Department.
Özdebir emphasized the need for planning that takes into account the future of world trade, and stated that Turkey has a huge advantage in terms of logistics due to its proximity to all markets.
The President of the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) stated, “We need to strengthen our infrastructure. There is almost no foreign investment in Ankara. We must make Ankara attractive for investment. There is a culture of production and quality in the capital city. We must make our producer image known to the world.”
“We can turn the situation around for the better”
Faik Yavuz, Treasurer of the TOBB Board of Directors and Chairman of the ATB Board of Directors, described the work that TOBB and ATB have done for their members during the pandemic. Stating that structural reforms could be implemented to turn 2021 into a new beginning, Yavuz said, “There’s no guarantee that these kinds of crises won’t happen again tomorrow; the important thing is to learn from them. We are at the center of the world, within a three or four-hour flight distance of anywhere, at the heart of $50 trillion worth of trade. Perhaps this pandemic will give us this opportunity and we can turn the situation around for the better.”
One thousand companies in OSTİM are engaged in e-commerce.
OSTİM Board Chairman Orhan Aydın stated that there was no halt or disruption in production, and that around a thousand companies were able to meet foreign demand through e-commerce, emphasizing the value of the companies' activities and production. Aydın also reported that the OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone Foreign Trade Coordination Office had brought together companies with Trade Attachés from nearly 20 countries, explaining the opportunities and trade possibilities in those markets.
Orhan Aydın, emphasizing that the strategic importance of agriculture emerged during the pandemic, noted that everyone should be involved for a livable world. “As Ankara, we need to discuss how we can become self-sufficient. There are around 1,400 villages and towns in Ankara. Let's assign a village to each civil society organization and develop agriculture and animal husbandry in that village. Let Ankara become a self-sufficient city,” he said.
We need new success stories.
Halil İbrahim Yılmaz, Vice Chairman of the ATO Board of Directors and Chairman of the Ankara City Council Executive Board, stated that the heroes of a city are those who produce, and that this can only be achieved with the laborers who work alongside the producers. Yılmaz said, "During the pandemic, we listened to each other more, learned more from each other, and prejudices decreased."
Highlighting the participants' successful work in their respective fields and emphasizing that the event was achieved through a culture of "dedicated work," Yılmaz stated, "We need new motivation and success stories. After our pandemic experience, we are ready to work with you, with your experience, commitment to work, and the new stories you will create."
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