TİM President Attended the 13th Ambassadors Conference

Speaking at the 13th Ambassadors Conference, Turkish Exporters Council (TİM) Chairman Mustafa Gültepe said, "A strong diplomatic network opens doors for our trade. Beyond the direct contribution of our diplomatic missions to our commerce, the diplomatic achievements of our foreign service both strengthen our country's image and provide ease of doing business for our exporters. We are a branded country in the Ready-to-Wear, Iron-Steel, Furniture, Construction Services and Food sectors. Our successes in Defense, Aviation, Electrical-Electronics, Machinery and Metal sectors are drawing the attention of the entire world. Our export family, through their investments abroad and more than 5,000 stores and sales points worldwide, bring prestige to our country. As coordination between business representatives and ambassadors strengthens, we produce more productive, more effective and more beneficial results on behalf of our country." Mustafa Gültepe, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Council (TİM), the umbrella organization of more than 100,000 exporters who are field operatives of Turkey's economic and trade diplomacy, addressed participants at the 13th Ambassadors Conference, which has been held under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2008 and took place this year between 6-12 August 2022 under the theme "Wise and compassionate Turkish diplomacy in 2023 and beyond." The conference addressed by TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe was attended by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Trade Minister Mehmet Muş, along with many representatives from diplomatic missions, the business world and NGOs. In his opening remarks, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe conveyed important messages about the contribution of Turkey's growing and expanding diplomatic network over the last 20 years to the country's exports and exporters.

"We see that our exports to 39 countries where we opened embassies between 2008-2016 increased by an average of 27 percent"

Noting that despite the opportunities provided by communications and transportation technologies, information asymmetry persists in international trade, and Turkish exporters overcome the obstacles they face in their markets more easily thanks to Turkey's foreign missions, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe stated, "As exporters, we know that a strong diplomatic network opens doors for our trade. Turkey is currently the fourth country with the most foreign representations, with 253 diplomatic missions. We see that our exports to 39 countries where we opened embassies between 2008-2016 increased by an average of 27 percent. Beyond the direct contribution of our diplomatic missions to our commerce, the diplomatic achievements of our foreign service both strengthen our country's image and provide ease of doing business for our exporters. As exporters, we continue to contribute to our country by walking the paths opened by our diplomacy and establishing commercial relationships." "Our successes in Defense, Aviation, Electrical-Electronics, Machinery and Metal sectors are drawing the attention of the entire world" Reminding that trade and diplomacy are mutually developing activities that draw strength from each other, and that the prohenoi in Ancient Greece, seen as the first examples of consulates in history, were established to protect the rights of merchants in other city-states, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe noted that trade, an effective method of public diplomacy, is also among the most important soft power instruments. Stating that as exporters, they support Turkey's conventional power through their production and investments on one hand, and contribute to Turkey's soft power elements through their trade diplomacy activities on the other, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe noted that Turkey jumped 27 positions in this year's evaluation and rose to 22nd place in the global soft power index. Heartily congratulating the Turkish exporter who had a hand in this success, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe said, "Today our exporters have raised their annual exports to USD 250 billion and have reached a position where our flag is flying in more than 200 countries and regions. We are a branded country in the Ready-to-Wear, Iron-Steel, Furniture, Construction Services and Food sectors. Our successes in Defense, Aviation, Electrical-Electronics, Machinery and Metal sectors are drawing the attention of the entire world. Our export family, through their investments abroad and more than 5,000 stores and sales points, bring prestige to our country." "Our export family will achieve success in distant countries with the support of our state and our ambassadors" Noting that Trade Minister Mehmet Muş shared the Strategy for Distant Countries with the public at the beginning of July, and that raising the average range of their exports from the current 3,065 km to the world average of 4,744 km is of utmost importance, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe said, "At this point, important tasks fall on both our exporters and our diplomatic missions. To achieve this goal, we need to increase our presence in every country and every region, and resolve the problems faced by our companies through cooperation between our foreign service, our council and our exporter associations. I believe that our export family will achieve success in these distant countries with the support of our state and our ambassadors." TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe emphasized that trade, by its nature, has a structure that develops interaction between societies and prioritizes consensus over conflict, and that just as Turkey's diplomatic missions open doors for their trade, they in turn strengthen the hands of their diplomatic representatives through their commercial activities. Underlining that as coordination between business representatives and ambassadors strengthens, they produce more productive, more effective and more beneficial results on behalf of Turkey, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe stated, "We are entering a period when concerns are increasing in global economics and security. In this period, I believe it would be beneficial for our export family to continue close cooperation with our ambassadors who are always by our side against any disruptions that may occur in trade. Similarly, I believe that the commercial relationships developed by our exporters have a quality that will strengthen our foreign policy's hand at a time when geopolitical risks are increasing. As the Turkish Exporters Council, I want to reiterate once again that together with our foreign service we are facing all difficulties, working for our country's vital interests, and are ready to further strengthen our coordination with our foreign missions."