GAİB Holds Awards Ceremony for Exporting Stars

GAİB Stars of Exports Awards Ceremony Held Companies registered with the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters Associations (GAİB) that achieved the highest exports in 2021 from among nearly 15,000 members received the "Star of Exports" award at a ceremony. The GAİB Stars of Exports Awards Ceremony, which has become a tradition, once again hosted spectacular celebrations. It was held in Gaziantep. Members of GAİB, which continues its activities with the motto of production, employment and strong exports, that achieved the highest exports in 2021 received the Stars of Exports awards at the ceremony held. The ceremony was attended by Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül, Gaziantep Members of Parliament, GAİB Coordinator Chairman Ahmet Fikret Kileci, Southeastern Anatolia Dried Fruit and Products Exporters Association Chairman Mehmet Çıkmaz, Southeastern Anatolia Cereals Legumes Oil Seeds and Products Exporters Association Chairman Celal Kadooğlu, Southeastern Anatolia Carpet Exporters Association Chairman Zeynal Abidin Kaplan, chamber and stock exchange chairmen, bureaucrats and numerous business executives. Congratulatory messages sent by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and many ministers were also read at the ceremony.

Gaziantep is a producing city

In his opening remarks, Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül said, "Gaziantep is a producing city. A city pointed out by others. A city that harbors brotherhood and friendship within itself and knows this as its most important capital. I thank every company that produces in Gaziantep and the region and contributes to Gaziantep's development. I express my gratitude to all our chairmen and industrialists who contributed to this relay race."

We combine product diversity with our courage

Ahmet Fikret Kileci, Coordinator Chairman of GAİB, whose members exported USD 11.7 billion in 2021, said in his opening remarks: "We are proud to have reached our export target under these economic conditions. I congratulate all our exporters wholeheartedly. The world has recently gone through a difficult period. First the pandemic, then the Russia-Ukraine crisis, followed by recession expectations that disrupted and changed markets. All assumptions were broken. In such an environment, we are happy and proud to have reached these figures in this region. The picture that emerges when sector and product diversity combine with the courage of our regional people makes us proud. I thank you all on behalf of myself and GAİB for not leaving us alone today and for this glorious success in exports."

Gratitude expressed to public institutions contributing to exports

Awards were also presented by GAİB Chairmen to the employees of the GAP Customs and Foreign Trade Zone Directorate and the Gaziantep Agriculture and Forestry Provincial Directorate, whose work contributed to regional exports. GAİB Coordinator Chairman Kileci, expressing gratitude to public employees who contributed to exports regardless of work hours, said: "As you know, receiving public support is very important for exports to take place. Both our GAP Customs and Foreign Trade Zone Directorate and our Gaziantep Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Directorate employees make great contributions to ensuring that our exporters' transactions proceed smoothly. We thank them. Additionally, I would like to note that as GAİB, we are undertaking the construction of a Customs Laboratory in Gaziantep. We expect the project we have put forward to address this basic need of our exporters to be implemented as soon as possible."

Stars of Exports receive awards at ceremony

At the Stars of Exports Awards Ceremony, SANKO Dış Ticaret became the export champion of 2021. Gaziantep Governor Davut Gül presented the award to the champion company, while Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Osman Toprak presented the award to second-place OBA Food Gıda, and SANKO Holding Honorary Chairman Abdulkadir Konukoğlu presented the award to third-place Altunkaya İnşaat Nakliyat. In 2021, GAİB members exported to 198 countries. A total of USD 11.7 billion in exports was recorded, with Middle Eastern countries in first place with 38.4% share, EU countries in second place with 18.1% share and American countries in third place with 14.4% share. Machine-made carpets, yarns, fabrics, bakery products, plastics and products, milling products, vegetable oils, iron-steel products, wood and forest products and other food preparations were the most exported products by GAİB members in 2021. Gaziantep completed 2021 with an export figure of USD 10.1 billion in 5th place. Gaziantep, which increased its exports by 27% compared to the previous year, had textiles and raw materials, cereals-legumes, oil seeds and products, carpets, chemical substances and wood and forest products among the leading sectors in exports.