10 Percent Increase is Expected in Exports at the end of 2019
Ahmet Öksüz evaluated the textile sector’s last year and announced its 2019 targets. Ahmet Öksüz said that the Turkish textile and raw materials sector is the biggest supplier of the EU after China. Öksüz stated that they completed last year with an export increase of 4 percent and 10.5 billion dollars.
Öksüz underlined that they do not neglect the potential markets as well as the existing markets and said, “We have exported to 188 countries in total. We made the most exports to the European Union countries with $ 5.4 billion. In terms of countries, our exports to Germany and Italy were 870 million dollars in this period. We have increased exports in 15 of our top 20 export markets.”
Öksüz, who said that they aim to reach a 10 percent of increase in the number of exports as textile and raw materials sector in 2019, also stated that they will exceed $11 billion in the first stage. Öksüz continued as follows. “Our industry has difficulty in reaching the qualified workforce it needs. The occupancy rates of the Textile Engineering departments, which have an 86 percent occupancy rate in 2017, dropped to 42 percent this year. Only 228 students preferred the textile engineering department in 2018-2019 period. Textile and Apparel Exporters’ Association and Turkey Textile Employers have come to an agreement with the trade unions and Council of Higher Education In this context, we have created a road map for the work guaranteed scholarship system for students who prefer textile engineering and submitted it to the approval of the Ministry. As soon as we receive the approval of the Ministry, we will start the program, with a scholarship amount equal to the minimum wage.”
IT CAN BE PROVIDE A SERIOUS BENEFIT TO OUR HEMP SECTOR
Öksüz talked about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s recent remark about the resumption of hemp cultivation. He said that it can create a new field for our industry. “Hemp is used in textile as it is the raw material of flax. The preproduction work of the nonfiber flax in Turkey can open a new way for flax fiber, which is not produced in Turkey, and it can provide a significant benefit to our industry.” Öksüz stated.
