MHGF to Organize Workshops for the Transformation of the Textile and Ready-to Wear Sector
The Fashion and Apparel Federation (MHGF) has launched a series of workshops in collaboration with the Ekonomi newspaper to address the transformation needs of Türkiye’s textile and ready-to-wear sectors. Within the scope of the project titled “A New Positioning Quest in the Textile and Ready-to-Wear Sector”, workshops will be organized in regions and sub-sectors where the sector is naturally clustered.
Within this framework, the first regional workshop was held in Denizli, and the first sectoral workshop took place at the Hosiery Manufacturers Association (ÇSD).
Representing 33 sectoral and regional associations in the fields of textile, ready-to-wear, fashion, leather, leather garment and footwear throughout Türkiye and more than 12,000 companies affiliated to them, the Fashion and Apperal Federation (MHGF) has launched a series of workshops titled “A New Positioning Quest in the Textile and Ready-to-Wear Sector” especially to find solutions to the decline experienced in production and exports in the last two years and the accompanying serious employment loss. MHGF, which signed a cooperation protocol with Ekonomi newspaper in June, decided to organize regional workshops in five provinces where the sector is naturally clustered and sub-sectoral workshops in Istanbul. Within this scope, the first regional workshop was held on August 19 in Denizli, hosted by the Denizli Textile and Apparel Industrialists Association (DETGIS), and the first sectoral workshop was held on September 9 in Istanbul, hosted by the Hosiery Manufacturers Association (ÇSD). In addition to sector representatives, academicians, opinion leaders, and stakeholders attended the workshops.
The First Stop Was Denizli, the Capital of Textiles
The first regional workshop was held on August 19 in Denizli, which is described as the capital of textiles, hosted by DETGIS. The meeting was attended by MHGF President Hüseyin Öztürk, Denizli Chamber of Industry (DSO) President Selim Kasapoğlu, Denizli Exporters’ Association (DENIB) President Hüseyin Memişoğlu, DETGIS President Mukaddes Başkaya, PAU Vice Rector Ersan Öz, and from Ekonomi newspaper, Vahap Munyar and Dr. Rüştü Bozkurt.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Hüseyin Öztürk stated that within the scope of the cooperation protocol they signed with Ekonomi newspaper in June, they launched the chain of regional and sectoral workshops, and said: “After the workshops, we planned an international summit in May 2026. We will organize regional workshops in five provinces where the sector is naturally clustered, and sectoral workshops in 15 sub-sectors. It is meaningful for us that the first stop is Denizli, because we have always seen Denizli as the capital of textiles. With its enterprises that have passed to the third generation, young people who studied abroad and returned to the sector, and its culture of acting together, it is an exemplary city. Therefore, we started the program in Denizli; Izmir, Gaziantep, and other provinces where the sector is naturally clustered are next.”
DETGIS President Mukaddes Başkaya pointed out that the workshops were organized not only to talk about problems, but also to draw the roadmap of our future together, and said: “With the common mind of our sector representatives, our opinion leaders, our academicians, we will contribute to the transformation journey of textiles.”
Starting his words by saying “These workshops are very important; we must not give up the struggle, we must not lose hope. We need to find an exit for textiles,” DSO President Selim Kasapoğlu said: “At the root of many economic problems in Türkiye lies the low exchange rate. It is not possible to reach prosperity without producing.” Kasapoğlu reminded that Turkish textile manufacturers emerged stronger from past crises and said: “In the same way, they will go through these paths again and find new markets.”
At the end of the workshop, which was held in two parts, a panel was held under the moderation of Vahap Munyar. In the panel where DSO President Selim Kasapoğlu, DENIB President Hüseyin Memişoğlu, DETGIS President Mukaddes Başkaya, and Dr. Rüştü Bozkurt were speakers, the initial outputs of the workshop were evaluated. Speaking here, DENIB President Memişoğlu said: “Creating a brand is important, but not something that will happen in one day. As seen here, among the participants, there are many young friends. Many of them continue the businesses founded by their fathers, or separately establish their own family businesses. Textile production and export have existed in this geography for thousands of years. In the new period, we will decide what to do through these workshops.”
Sectoral Series Started with Hosiery
Within the scope of the program, the first sectoral workshop started with the hosiery sector on September 9, hosted by ÇSD. At the meeting where representatives of the hosiery sector and solution partners came together, the opening speeches were made by ÇSD Chairman Ender Doğan, MHGF Chairman Hüseyin Öztürk, and Ekonomi Newspaper General Coordinator Vahap Munyar.
MHGF President Hüseyin Öztürk said: “We will hold workshops in nearly 20 sub-sectors, and it is very meaningful that the first meeting started with the hosiery sector. At the end of all these regional and sectoral workshops, in May 2026, together with all our solution partners, we will turn it into an international summit. For the first time in Turkiye, a sector is carrying out a chain of workshops from end to end and then a summit.” Öztürk also added that they will discuss the way out of the crisis for the sector at this summit.
Hosiery Manufacturers Association (ÇSD) President Ender Doğan stated that the sector has difficulty in adapting to rapidly changing technology and market conditions, and said: “We cannot stay where we are; we need to move to a new place, and since we do not know where the place we will move to is, we are trying to search for it together. The purpose of this workshop is to carry out this search and to determine our problems and seek solutions.”
Ekonomi Newspaper General Coordinator Vahap Munyar also said: “As the Ekonomi newspaper, we are trying to be the voice of all sectors as much as possible. We always continue cooperation with the sectors.”
The two-part workshop was moderated by Ekonomi Newspaper Chief Advisor Dr. Rüştü Bozkurt. Following the workshop section, in order to evaluate the results, a panel was held under the moderation of Vahap Munyar. The speakers of the panel were former ÇSD Presidents İlker Öztaş, IOSB Hosiery Industrial Estate President Kazım Özeren, DAYMOD Partner Ercüment Gün, and Batuhan Yolasığmaz from Net İplik.
Workshops Calendar
As part of the project “A New Positioning Quest in the Textile and Ready-to-Wear Sector” workshops with confirmed dates include a regional workshop hosted by the Aegean Clothing Manufacturers Association (EGSD) in Izmir on October 23 and another hosted by the Southeast Anatolian Exporters’ Association (GAIB) in Gaziantep on December 10. In addition, workshops focusing on the embroidery sector, hosted by the Istanbul Embroidery Manufacturers Association (INSAD) in Istanbul on October 14, and the textile machinery sector, hosted by the Textile Machinery and Accessories Industrialists Association (TEMSAD) on November 18, are also among those with confirmed dates.
