The Eastern and Southeastern leg of the Turkish Trade Fair, organized by Rok Consultancy and Trade Fairs and supported by government institutions from eight countries, was held in Batman with the aim of bringing together businessmen from Turkic states under one roof and building trade bridges with international partners.

The meeting, hosted by Almiran Group Chairman and TTF Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia Regional President Muhammed Arif Çetin, saw the attendance of many notable figures including Rok International Consultancy Chairman and Turkish Trade Fair Organizer Aygün Aliyeva, Almiran Group Chairman Muhammed Arif Çetin, Trade Representative Chief Advisor Cavid Abdullayev from the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Istanbul, HEPA Regional Office Country Manager Murat Ertekin, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States TCCI Adem Kula, and AK Party Headquarters Deputy Chairman of Economic Affairs Zekeriya Aslan.

Representatives from eight countries, including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Hungary, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, gathered in Batman ahead of the Turkish Trade Fair, which will be held at the Istanbul Fair Center on November 7-9. Their aim is to provide new market opportunities for national SMEs, micro-producers, and entrepreneurs, and to open doors for them to reach different markets by integrating with regional and global production chains.

During the meeting held in Batman prior to the fair, Almiran Group Chairman and TTF Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia Regional President Muhammed Arif Çetin expressed confidence that new business opportunities would emerge in the Turkic world and that Turkey would increase its trade volume with Turkic states.

Çetin also emphasized that the fair would strengthen cultural ties and provide an opportunity to develop joint projects among Turkic states. He stated, “The collaboration between the Turkish Trade Chamber, established within the Organization of Turkic States and the Turkic world, and the Turkish Trade Fair ROK EXPO will offer significant opportunities for regional economies and global trade. These initiatives will enhance our economic cooperation and result in stronger commercial bonds. The establishment of the Turkish Trade Chamber is a crucial step towards increasing economic integration among Turkic states. This structure will allow business representatives to come together to develop joint projects and overcome trade barriers. The guidance provided by the fair will be critical in increasing interregional trade volume and accessing new markets. Additionally, we have many excellent companies from Eastern and Southeastern regions active in international platforms. Our goal is for companies from Batman and the surrounding regions to become primary contractors in projects involving Turkic States and Middle Eastern countries and to attract funders to invest in our region. With this noble aim, we are working towards a greater and stronger Turkey by uniting rather than dividing under the motto ‘Trade for Good’. The Turkish Trade Fair will not only offer new collaboration opportunities to the business world and support innovation and entrepreneurship in every sector but also attract foreign investors and increase trade volume between the Organization of Turkic States and the Turkish Trade Fair. All these efforts will significantly enhance our country’s brand value. Integrating the projects of the OTS into the world economy could create substantial synergies in future collaborations. Utilizing the potential of Southeastern and Eastern Anatolia through logistics and supply channels, we can bridge China, Russia, Turkic states, and Middle Eastern countries, leveraging our region’s potential. By facilitating the logistics and marketing of resources and products from Turkic states through the Middle East and the Balkans, this fair presents a significant opportunity for our dynamic companies in Batman and other Eastern and Southeastern provinces, known for their international success, to contribute to and secure their rightful place within the OTS. Ultimately, these structures within the Organization of Turkic States will more effectively showcase the economic potential of the Turkic world, contributing to becoming a significant player in international trade. We invite esteemed business representatives to make the most of these opportunities and join us in the goal of increasing the economic prosperity of the Turkic world and the Turkish Trade Fair.”

Murat Ertekin, Country Manager of the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA) Regional Office, stated, “We are here to draw the attention of local businessmen to the Turkish Trade Fair. We aim to attract the attention of industrialists and businessmen in the region. As the representative of Hungarian exports, I am here to promote Hungarian technology and the Hungarian economy. As is known, Hungary is an observer member of the Turkic World Organization. It is a country that values the Turkic organization and maintains bilateral relations in political and economic contexts. Within this framework, we want to bring Hungarian companies to Turkey and find distributors in Turkey. By participating in such meetings, we explore what kinds of activities Turkish industrialists can undertake together with Hungarians. Hungary has 14 Nobel prizes, which is significant for a country with a population of 10 million. Thirteen of these prizes are in technical fields, indicating that Hungarian technology has made significant progress. I believe this will also benefit Turkey. Looking at trade, we see that the trade structures of the two countries are similar, but we know they are not competing countries. Therefore, there is potential for cooperation. We will do our best to create this potential. The interest here is very high, and we hope to meet this interest.”

Aygün Aliyeva, Chairman of Rok International Consultancy and Organizer of the Turkish Trade Fair, said, “Today, we held a promotional meeting in Batman focusing on the economic power of Turkic states and the opportunities presented by the Turkish Trade Fair. For us, as the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia region, Batman is very important. Therefore, we held our second promotion here after Istanbul. Today, Turkic states, with a population of 178 million and an economic power of 1.9 trillion dollars, are strengthening their relations in many areas, and I believe the private sector should not be left out. Therefore, under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and in collaboration with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkic States, we will organize the largest gathering of Turkic states, the Turkish Trade Fair, on November 7-9, 2024, in Istanbul. As part of these efforts, we continue our promotional meetings in every region of Turkey. We invite everyone to this great fair.”

The fair meeting, held with a large turnout, concluded with group photographs taken by the participants.

Source: iha.com.tr