The cabinet that will govern the first five years of the second century of the Republic of Turkey took office under the chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. While the heads of exports conveyed their wishes for success to the new government, they voiced their demands for competitive exchange rates, access to finance, energy prices at world prices and no visa barriers for travel to continue production and exports.
In his first statement after the election, Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator Chairman of Aegean Exporters' Associations, stated that "The pressure on the foreign exchange should be lifted", and that foreign investment should increase in order to get the Turkish economy out of the bottleneck it is in and to reduce the foreign trade deficit that exceeds 130 billion dollars annually. He called for Mehmet Şimşek, the Minister of Finance, to be released in his work area.
Noting that Turkey could not be one of the top 10 economies in the world, but could not use its potential sufficiently, Eskinazi said, “Mr. Mehmet Şimşek, the Minister of Treasury and Finance, is a well-known and credible name by the international capital. While taking over the task, he stated; The phrase “Turkey has no choice but to return to rational ground” clearly reveals the current state of the Turkish economy. I believe that Minister Şimşek gave this message to both Turkey and international capital circles. If both sides read this message correctly, it will accelerate Turkey's recovery from the economic crisis.
Expressing that Trade Minister Ömer Bolat is an experienced and knowledgeable person in foreign trade, Eskinazi concluded his words by saying, “We wholeheartedly believe that we will break new records in exports with new organizations in target markets under the leadership of our Minister of Trade, Ömer Bolat.”
Ertan: “Energy prices should be reduced”
Yalçın Ertan, Vice President of Aegean Exporters' Associations and President of Aegean Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals Exporters' Association, argued that the energy-intensive iron and steel industry has lost its competitiveness since October 2022 due to energy costs. Ertan, who stated that “The reductions in energy prices in the world were not reflected in Turkey at the same rate”, said, “With the decrease in freight prices, the Far East has become more advantageous and competitive than us. We meet about 70 percent of our raw material needs by importing. There is an obligation to exchange 40 percent of our issuance revenues with the Central Bank. If we use loans originating from the Central Bank, this rate rises to 80 percent. There is an 8-10 percent difference between buying and selling prices in exchange rates. After we exchange our foreign currency with the Central Bank, we have to buy foreign currency from the free market by giving 8-10 percent difference in order to import. Profit margins in our sector are well below these rates. That's why we're hurting. Today, we have come to the point where we cannot even compete with manufacturers in the European Union. We expect urgent solutions to these issues from the new government. We are faced with anti-dumping duties in our industry's exports to the USA and EU countries. Our government needs to develop policies in this regard as well," he said.
Aeroplane; “Agricultural supports in exports should come back”
Wishing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and all the ministers in the Council of Ministers success in the new term, Aegean Exporters' Unions Coordinator Vice President and Aegean Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exporters' Association President Hayrettin Aircraft stated that the agricultural return supports, which were removed last year in accordance with the commitments made to the World Trade Organization, in the export of agricultural products. stated that they expect it to be implemented again with a formula.
Işık: “Necessary conditions must be met for the continuation of production”
Aegean Exporters' Unions Organic and Sustainability Coordinator and Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters' Association President Mehmet Ali Işık emphasized that their primary expectation from the new government is to provide the necessary conditions for the continuation of production. Işık continued his words as follows; “The foreign investor's doubts should be cleared. The legal ground should eliminate these doubts, trust should be established, and a healthy cash flow is of vital importance for the sustainability of natural investments and exports. We expect the new government to take urgent steps in this regard," he said.
Sertbaş: “We expect a foreign policy that will solve visa problems”
Noting that the ready-to-wear and apparel industry had a hard time in exports in 2023 due to the exchange rate that is not compatible with inflation, Burak Sertbaş, President of the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters' Association, drew attention to the fact that the increase in exchange rates should be proportional to inflation. Sertbaş summarized his other expectations from the new government as follows:
“We expect economic policies that support production first and then exports. Labor and justice policies that will attract foreign investors and give them confidence should be explained. Nowadays, visa has become a big problem for our exporters. There should be foreign policy arrangements that will ease the visa problem.”
Crete: “We expect economic policies in line with international norms”
Bedri Girit, President of Aegean Fisheries and Animal Products Exporters' Association, which is the export champion of the food sectors within the body of Aegean Exporters' Associations with their export of 2022 billion dollars in 1,6, stated that they expect economic policies in line with international norms from the new government, that they are accountable, transparent and that will reduce the foreign trade deficit. indicated that they were asking for support. Expressing that they see exports as the insurance of the continuity of agricultural production, Crete said that export bans in agricultural products harm the agricultural sectors and asked the new government to act more sensitively in this regard.
Er: “The difference in the exchange rate exchanged by the exporter with the CBT should be increased from 2 percent to 10”
Drawing attention to the high cost of inputs in exports, Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters' Association President Davut Er emphasized that the foreign exchange support, which is 2 percent, should be increased to 10 percent from the new government when exchanging foreign currency with the Central Bank.
Noting that Turkey has become the world's second in olive oil harvest with 2002 thousand tons and the world's first in table olives with a yield of 100 thousand tons, with the production of more than 422 million olive trees planted after 735, EZZİB President Davut Er underlined the need for state support to increase our share in packaged branded exports. he drew.
Ozturk; “Real exchange rate will accelerate exports”
Muhammet Öztürk, Chairman of the Board of Aegean Cereals, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Exporters' Association, stated that the assessment of Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of Treasury and Finance, at the handover ceremony, that "Turkey has no other option but to return to a rational basis" is a correct determination, and that financial stability He noted that transparency, consistency, predictability and compliance with international norms are expectations for the company, and that the realization of exchange rates will accelerate exports.
Gürle: “The exchange rate should get rid of the pressure”
Ali Fuat Gürle, Chairman of the Board of the Aegean Furniture Paper and Forest Products Exporters' Association, which includes the furniture, paper and forest products sectors, summarized his expectations from the new government under 3 headings; “The exchange rate should get rid of the pressure, exporters should have easier access to finance, realistic interest rate policies should ease the markets.”
Zandar: “Necessary steps must be taken without losing our identity as a productive force”
Aegean Leather and Leather Products Exporters' Association President Erkan Zandar, who has determined that there has been a period in which exports have become difficult and imports have become easier since January, said, "While the exports of leather and leather products decreased, imports increased by 125 percent. During this period, companies engaged in production for both export and domestic market were in a difficult situation. In order to ensure economic stability, it is imperative to activate not only the exchange rate but also many different instruments. In this sense, I think that the Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek and his team will adopt the necessary orthodox policies and take the necessary steps. I hope that Mr. Hafize Gaye Erkan, who is said to be the Chairman of the Central Bank, will also be useful in attracting direct investments. I wish our country, especially in its region, to carry out the necessary studies without losing its identity as a production power.”