Industry Representatives Meet at “Textiles and Apparel Summit”
At the summit, where the textile and apparel trade unions, academicians and business representatives came together, the future of the textile industry was discussed. The 2-day summit started with the opening speeches of the industry representatives. Fashion and Apparel Federation’s Chairman Hüseyin Öztürk said that the textiles and apparel industry is the only sector that includes production, employment and exports, and that they attach great importance to exports and that the industry needs support as it exports with very little investment. Öztürk said that with this summit, they aim to guide the Anatolian employers who want to make exports.
IKU Vice-president Professor Dr. Nihal Sarıer stated that the Turkish textile and apparel industry have an important role in the global trade with its ability to reach high standards, and added, “It can comfortably compete in the international market with its high quality and the wide range of products, and stands out in the world as the 6th largest apparel supplier. In the last 40 years, the production and export in the textile sector have shifted from low value-added products to high value-added products.”
TUSIAD Secretary General Bahadır Kaleağası said that Turkey should manufacture products with high brand value in order to seize a place in a competitive environment, thus needs for qualified manpower. Kaleağası emphasized that structural reforms in the tax, legal and education system, should start in order to reach the 2023 targets.
ASKON: We Launched An Employment Campaign
Orhan Aydın, Chairman of Anatolian Lions Businessmen Association noted that they have promised for 50 thousand new jobs, and said, “The Turkish textiles and apparel industry has turned this country into one, that has proven itself, and has globally well-established brands and one that the global brands want to cooperate with.” As ASKON, we promised 50,000 new jobs a month ago. We focused on employment, starting a campaign for 81 new businesses in 81 provinces. We aim to make 30 billion dollars of export at the end of the year including the textiles and apparels.
IKU Chairman of the Board of Trustees Dr. Bahar Akıngüç stated that they will continue to support the industry with their intellectual know-how for the manpower needed to produce high value-added products in the textile industry.
“Turkey is the 6th largest worldwide apparel supplier”Orhan Turan, Chairman of Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation said that the textiles and apparels industry distinguishes with the employment of women at a rate of 40%, and it is the second largest industry contributing to the country’s employment in 2018.
Turan noted that the export competency, which helps Turkey’s economy breathe, needs to be restructured according to the changes in the market, and said that online exports have a 0.3% share in the overall exports, which needs efforts to increase.
Umut Oran, Republican deputy of Istanbul, talked about the textile industry’s contributions to the Turkish economy and advised the young people not to give up and take care of the textile industry.
Bülent Ünal, Chairman of TÜYAP Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım A.Ş., shared Turkey’s export figures in his speech and said that “Every society needs individuals to analyse to support the country’s economic strength, and these individuals should have the courage and speed to take risks. If we don’t do this, we cannot come out of our shell.”
Following the opening speeches, the industry representatives were give a plaque, and a souvenir photo was taken for their participation at the summit. During the two-day summit, panels were held titled “World Economy and Turkey”, “World Textiles and Apparel Market and Turkey”, “Turkish Apparel Chainstores” and “Anatolia’s Powerful Apparel Production Centers.” Prof. Dr. Sinan Alçın from IKU made a presentation on “Textile 4.0 and New Challenges in Global Competition.”
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