Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer met with the International Transporters Association (UND) Chairman of the Board Çetin Nuhoğlu and the UND Board of Directors. Welcoming UND Management in his office, President Seçer also attended UND's fast-breaking dinner. Mayor Seçer stated that, as Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, they are ready to fulfill their duties for the establishment of a logistics village in Mersin, and said, “Mersin definitely needs to have a logistics village and our cooperation is essential for this.”
“It is useful to talk about what can be done next”
Mersin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MTSO) Chairman of the Board Ayhan Kızıltan and MTSO Assembly President Hamit İzol also took part in the visit held in President Seçer's office. President Seçer stated that the logistics industry has ties with other sectors and said, “In order for other sectors to hold on to life, logistics must be sustainable without any problems. In other words, there would be no logistics without agricultural production, no logistics without a port, and no logistics without industrial production. They will exist, but while they exist, a new industry is emerging; logistics. In order for him to survive, they must continue to produce. In other words, there must be a movable production of goods, there must be product production, or you will export and import. There are all. These issues have always been discussed, but no step has been taken so far.”
Stating that they held a meeting in the past days, including MTSO, Mayor Seçer said, “As the Mayor, I am aware of the contribution of logistics to our region and Turkey's economy. There is a need for a logistics village in Mersin, but we need to determine a way and a method and look for ways to start it. This is not a project that Mersin Metropolitan Municipality can handle alone. The central government or UND or the Metropolitan should contribute to this projection together. But what will actually be the locomotive here is your effort. There are examples in other regions of Turkey. How can we put this into practice in Mersin as soon as possible? The biggest problem is space. First of all, we need to solve this problem, the others are left with details, it is an issue that we can solve more easily”.
“Let's bring Mersin a logistics village”
President Seçer said, “Let's form a commission. Let's give members to this commission at the top bureaucracy level. Our Chamber of Commerce and Industry, relevant associations, chambers, institutions, organizations, everyone should be included in this. Let's give Mersin a logistics village. As the mayor, let me say this: I am ready to fulfill whatever task falls on our municipality for the realization of this work, this project. Because it will add significant value to my city. Due to its location, Mersin is the capital of logistics. It takes effort to embody this. We have to do this together too. It is a very important investment and project for our region. Mersin definitely needs to have a logistics village, and for this, our cooperation is a must,” he said.
Nuhoğlu: “Mersin deserves to be the capital of logistics”
UND Chairman of the Board Çetin Nuhoğlu, on the statements of President Seçer, said, "Your vision gives us strength." Emphasizing that Mersin is a very important region and city for them, Nuhoğlu said, “I say it every time; Ankara is the capital of Turkey, Istanbul is the capital of the economy, but Mersin is the capital of logistics. "This is the center of exports," he said. Nuhoğlu stated that municipalities should take the lead on the issue of kojistic villages and said, “Ankara is the rest. But thanks to Ankara, Mr. President has always been saying logistics lately. Hopefully, projects that can fill the gold can be produced in our ministries. If we are going to develop with exports, then we have to solve the logistics problems. Hopefully, it will be built on 2, 4 acres of land that we dream of here, together with its port, but with a new port and a new land terminal next to this port. I think Mersin will develop much faster, we are very sure of that," he said.
Adding that they are not a sector in terms of logistics, but the infrastructure of all sectors, Nuhoğlu said, "Mersin deserves to be the capital of logistics, and we see the capital as the same and we are ready as non-governmental organizations to continue this."
“We held Turkey's largest logistics meeting in Mersin”
After the visit in President Seçer's office, the fast-breaking dinner was held at the Divan Hotel. MTSO Chairman of the Board Kızıltan, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MESİAD Hasan Engin and names from the business world took part in the fast-breaking dinner. Expressing that the logistics sector is among the most important sectors of Turkey and Mersin, President Seçer reminded the logistics and transporter meeting organized with the participation of CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.
Stating that logistics problems started to be discussed throughout Turkey after the meeting, President Seçer stated that they took important steps to build a logistics village; “I am happy to see that after that meeting, the problems of the logistics sector started to be discussed in Turkey. This means that if you go over a subject and grasp it in the palm of your hand, not with the tip of your hand, there is nothing you cannot do. There is no problem you can't finish. How do we build the logistics village we are looking for now? We are in search of a solution. Sittinsen has been talking for years. Since the logistics sector has existed in Mersin, the logistics village is down, the logistics is up, but it has not been possible to go a long way.”
“We interrupted to realize the logistics village in Mersin”
Stating that they hold frequent meetings with the Metropolitan Municipality, Chamber of Commerce and Industry and UND and draw a road map for the logistics village, Mayor Seçer said:
“We have decided to follow a path like this. We said; Chamber of Commerce and Industry, UND, Mersin Metropolitan Municipality; Let's give a representative to the institutions and start the work, let's find a method. Let's get this thing done. So let's not just talk, let's take action and our friends held the first meeting. They met at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In the first place, they scanned the area. The zoning plans of Mersin are currently being worked on. Where, what can be done, how Mersin Metropolitan Municipality can contribute to this work, how can other institutions contribute, studies are being carried out. Today, UND Chairman of the Board of Directors and his colleagues visited me for the second time in a short time as a large delegation. We shared our sincere thoughts there as well, and we interrupted ourselves to realize the logistics village of Mersin, which has been in words for a long time. Here I am explaining this so that we can tie ourselves. Let's say that we are in a work in front of you, and I wanted you to grasp this issue with your palm, not from the end, so that we can solve this issue together.”
UND Chairman of the Board Çetin Nuhoğlu said, “We are a large and large family. We are a sector that has been designing the future of this sector in Turkey for nearly 50 years, carrying it forward and above all working with all its strength for the performance of the sector and primarily the country. At the point we have reached today, Mr. President has also said very clearly; logistics village is needed. We believe in this too, and as UND, we also visited the President today. “We are ready,” he said. Now we will come together. Not only will this logistics village belong to Mersin, it will belong to all of Anatolia, we will establish a structure that will be embraced by all of Anatolia," he said.
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