TİM President Gülle Reviews Export Performance

İsmail Gülle, President of Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), commented on Turkey's export performance, which has accelerated in recent years. Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), the umbrella organization of over 100,000 exporters across 27 sectors and 61 exporter associations, is represented by President İsmail Gülle, who evaluated the rising export performance of Turkey's export sector, which serves as the field operatives of the country's economy and trade diplomacy. TİM President İsmail Gülle stated that 2021 would be a year that Turkey's exporters would never forget and would remember very differently in terms of the country's exports. TİM President Gülle said, "For 14 years we have worked to push our exports above USD 200 billion in order to reach double-digit figures. When we were getting close, an economic crisis broke out in America, and when we approached again, a Far East crisis occurred. Despite many challenges, 14 years later, as of July of last year, for the first time in history we exceeded USD 200 billion in exports in a 12-month period. In September as well, we achieved USD 212.2 billion in exports in the last 12 months, surpassing our annual export target of USD 211 billion. Again in September, for the first time in our history, we crossed USD 20 billion in monthly exports. Finally, we reached our target of USD 225 billion set for 2021."

"The export sector set monthly export records in 16 of the last 18 months"

Emphasizing that the hard work and efforts of exporters, coupled with government support, enabled Turkey to set monthly export records in 16 of the last 18 months, TİM President Gülle stated, "In 25 out of our 27 sectors, we reached the highest export figures in the history of the Republic. We broke records in employment, production, and growth. Despite many negative news and indicators worldwide, the export sector has become the pride and honor of this country. As the export sector, despite parameters deteriorating, many indicators being affected and declining, we always continued to produce and export, and managed to bring good news to our country at the end of each month. Thank God, we realized USD 225 billion in exports, going well beyond our target set at the beginning of last year. We were not targeting this, but if you are living and standing, conditions will certainly bring you opportunities," he said. "We are present throughout Turkey, in every province, and we visit organizations in each province" Emphasizing that Turkey has been placed in a different position in the world order established after the pandemic, TİM President Gülle stated that Turkey is now an important supply center. Gülle continued as follows: "We see those who prefer Turkey, those who place orders from Turkey, those who want to buy goods from Turkey in almost every sector. We are present throughout Turkey. We are in every province, and we visit organizations in each province. We are in the field. We visit factories. We monitor the pulse of all our sectors. We see that many of our producers and the entire export sector in every province of Turkey are very satisfied and pleased with their production and exports," he said.

"We all have large orders. We are preparing to undertake major projects"

TİM President İsmail Gülle said that previously, financing expectations had always been the first priority, but now labor needs and workforce requirements are mentioned first. Gülle stated, "The reason for this is that we all have large orders in hand. We are preparing to undertake major projects. We are shifting to scale economics. Instead of the previous years' approach of wanting small operations for ourselves, we are moving toward larger-scale projects. Because we are now receiving such projects. We are taking on large orders. We are losing projects we cannot handle. For this reason, we see consolidations in sectors and major investments within sectors. We take pride in this," he said.

"Our greatest gem is the export sector"

TİM President Gülle, noting that they are not a country that grows with underground resources, said, "But our greatest gem is the export sector. Those who lead us to our targets, who set export targets of hundreds of billions of dollars and above, who realize them, and who will bring our country to the level of prosperous societies are our exporters. We have both underground and above-ground wealth. But the most important and valuable wealth we have is our entrepreneurs and businessmen who dedicate themselves to their work. This is our greatest value. Around us we see countries that cannot enjoy the benefits of underground wealth, that cannot experience this richness. We, however, reach our targets through technology, know-how, investment, growth, production, and employment. Next year we will celebrate the centennial of our republic. For us, it will be a truly important and meaningful year. We will, God willing, honor the debt we owe to this republic and to those who shed their blood and soul in establishing it by achieving a USD 300 billion target next year that will be worthy of their descendants and generations. Export, employment, production, and investment are the name of serving this country. And we all do this as the export sector. We are proud of our exporters," he said.