Turkey Will Welcome 2023 with Higher Numbers

KOSGEB President Kurt; “Turkey will meet 2023 with higher figures by increasing its targeted export figures and added value and diversifying its tools in areas such as finance and technology”

“TIM Southeast Anatolia Assembly” meeting organized by Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) was held in Gaziantep. KOSGEB President Hasan Basri Kurt, Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül, TİM President İsmail Gülle, Gaziantep Chamber of Industry Chairman Adnan Ünverdi, Sanko Holding Honorary President Abdülkadir Konukoğlu and Southeastern Anatolia Exporters' Associations (GAİB) President Ahmet Fikret Kileci attended the program.

Speaking at the meeting, KOSGEB President Hasan Basri Kurt said, “KOSGEB has previously carried out different studies in order to make the exports made by SMEs more qualified. From now on, it will strongly increase these efforts.” he said.

President Hasan Basri Kurt made the following statements in his speech:

Continue Investments

Our SMEs are one of the most important driving forces of employment, production and the added value created in Turkey as well as in the rest of the world. In this period, when we are evolving from a world with intense competition to a world with very different competitive conditions, the support given by SMEs to production and exports is really very important. As KOSGEB, we are aware of this and we will continue to make very strong investments in this field.

Not enough

Currently, we have reached the figure of 100 thousand exporting companies in Turkey. Approximately 95 thousand of these enterprises are in the status of SMEs and approximately 45 thousand of them are companies that export as manufacturers. Although this number is really high, their exports are not at the rates we want in terms of both added value and amount.

KOSGEB had previously carried out different studies in order to add new names to the exporter family and to make the exports of our SMEs more qualified. From now on, we will continue to increase these efforts strongly.

Abroad Programs

We had an Overseas Business Trip program that was in effect from our KOSGEB support. We've updated this program and our support figures. This support did not have a widely used dimension in the pandemic conditions, but I hope we want to carry out joint international business trips with both TİM and DEİK after the pandemic.

Potential Young Population

Turkey has to carry its young population and potential human resources to higher levels. In other words, the export figures we have reached today are of course a very good figure for us, but this is never enough. For this, it is necessary to increase the added value and diversify the financial instruments.

Expectations from Exporters

Our exporters need finance. KGF has announced a new program, but this alone is of course not enough. In the continuation of this, hopefully, steps are taken to pave the way for our exporters and facilitate their access to finance. We also have basic expectations from our exporters. We have investment expectations especially in digitalization, productivity and human resource development.

2023 Goal

Because, unfortunately, the human resources trained in the fields of digitalization and productivity in Turkey cannot keep up with the speed of exports and production at the moment. In this field, very important tasks fall on our SMEs and exporters. In this sense, we follow the works of Genç TİM with appreciation. Hopefully, we will try to be a part of that work in some way.

Turkey will meet with higher figures in 2023 by increasing its targeted export figures and added value, and by diversifying the tools in the fields such as finance and technology.

Highest Export in History

TİM President İsmail Gülle also said; “Our province has studied the development of Turkey very well. It made its investments accordingly and created its brands accordingly. He put export at the center of his business. In the last 20 years, our city's exports have increased 17 times. In Gaziantep, 10 of our sectors realized the highest export of their history in 2021. In addition to this, our city of Gazi broke an export record to 100 countries in 2021.”

“We Will Come Out Stronger From These Processes”

Gaziantep Governor Davut Gul also said; “Gaziantep is a growing and producing city. Turkey is a developing country and you are undoubtedly the heroes here. The contribution of each of you is a source of pride for us. The high-speed train between Mersin and Gaziantep will also be able to carry loads. Therefore, it will enable you to reach Mersin port faster, more comfortably and more quickly. When that happens we will have two different port options. We will reach the ports faster. At the same time, the new terminal building of the new airport was completed. For now, there are direct flights to 13 countries. You know best what that means. Hopefully, we will come out of this process stronger.” made statements.