‘‘Not Deviating from the Export Target will Be a Significant Accomplishment’’

İsmail Gülle, Former President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), Istanbul Chamber of Industry (İSO) Assembly Member and Chairman of the Board of Gülle Tekstil, organized a press conference. Gülle evaluated the ongoing efforts to heal the wounds after the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş, the situation of the industrial establishments in the earthquake region, the impact of the earthquake on the economy and exports, and offered solutions. Gülle pointed out that they had great objectives this year as well, and that in order to achieve these goals, they needed to ensure that permanent residences, container houses and schools should be built in the earthquake zone for the continuity of living spaces, especially production facilities; ‘‘There is a road map to be followed. We achieved a great success story in 2021. In this success story, logistics provided us with a great opportunity. It brought 25 billion dollars of extra exports. In 2022, we managed to achieve the target of 250 billion dollars, over 250 billion dollars.’’

‘‘Earthquake Region Has Strong Export Infrastructure’’

Indicating that there are casualties on the one hand and a migrating population on the other, Gülle stated that after the disaster, efforts to revitalize trade in the provinces affected by the earthquake and to get the cities back on their feet are continuing at full speed. İsmail Gülle continued his statements as follows: ‘‘There is a very strong export infrastructure covering 8-9 percent of Turkey in the earthquake region, there are existing investments and growth. The biggest influence was Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Hatay and Malatya. Other regions were affected by their own characteristics. But the biggest export loss was in Kahramanmaraş and Hatay. Gaziantep has an export of over 10 billion dollars, this city has been seriously affected. Maraş has an export of around 1.6 billion dollars. We see that it is also affected by this process and that the most production facility damage is also there.’’

‘‘We should not deviate from our export target’’

Pointing out that there have been disasters before and that this one will also be overcome by joining hands as a nation, Gülle expressed: ‘‘Since this disaster is big colossal, it may take a little longer to recover. The most important job for us is to act with the least impact from this disaster, both in the government’s action plan and with the growth-oriented export strategy that seems to be fundamental for us. So this year, there was a target of 275 billion dollars with an export growth of 10 percent compared to last year. Hopefully, it will be a very significant accomplishment not to deviate from this target despite this disaster.’’

‘‘You shall produce in your country and buy from your country’’

Gülle stated that as the sector, especially since the last quarter of last year, there had been a decline in orders and business and that stocks have been built up in this process; ‘‘When we evaluated this situation with our friends in the sector, unfortunately, they mentioned that our ready-to-wear brands and some of our companies in our country have turned to imports and this is something that should be the last thing to happen. I would like to express that I do not find it very appropriate to turn to imports because it is a little cheaper by using the advantage given by the exchange rate while our values and factories are working here. In my opinion, it is not very ethical, especially today it is not ethical. I am not saying that imports are unethical, but it is unethical today, especially in products that we have substitutes for. Today, when we have so much domestic production capacity, we need to produce it. We need to love this country even more right now. Loving more means, ‘you will think about your country, not your interests today’. You will have it produced in your country and buy it from your country.’’