Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) opened its first foreign representative office in Nicosia in cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO) to share its experiences in innovation, global trade and to carry out training activities together.
Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) opened its first foreign representative office in Nicosia, in cooperation with the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Industry (KTSO), to share its experiences in innovation, entrepreneurship and global trade and to carry out training activities together.
TRNC Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy, KTSO President Candan Avunduk, TİM President İsmail Gülle, exporter union presidents and many industrialists and exporters from the Turkish Northern Cyprus business world attended the opening of the office, which will operate within the body of KTSO.
Speaking at the ceremony, TİM President İsmail Gülle said that they have undertaken a vital work to develop regional trade between the two brother countries.
Stating that TİM and exporters’ associations will bring their 83 years of export experience to Cyprus under the umbrella of KTSO, Gülle said:
“We are here to carry forward the know-how we have accumulated, from foreign trade legislation infrastructure to market entry strategy, from access to finance models to studies in the field of innovation, R&D, digital transformation, e-export and entrepreneurship, with our Cypriot compatriots and our business world. Two brothers “We will take the country’s trade even further, deepen our relations with the Turkish Cypriot industry and trade world, go beyond the changing conditions in line with the conjuncture, and walk together towards a sustainable future in production, industry and cross-border trade.”
“We are ready to transfer all these experiences to Cyprus”
İsmail Gülle said that the only way to achieve the target of “Turkey with a foreign trade surplus” is; He emphasized that the key is to develop innovation, R&D, technology transfer, branding and entrepreneurship ecosystem, thus producing high added value.
In this sense, Gülle stated that they launched the “İnoSuit-Innovation-Focused Mentoring Program”, which they have been successfully continuing for 4 years, at TİM TRNC Office and said, “In cooperation with TEB, our most important supporter in these studies, we have been trying to spread the entrepreneurship ecosystem throughout Turkey for 5 years. To date, 10 years have passed.” “We have trained more than 900 entrepreneurs in our TİM-TEB Entrepreneurship Houses in our city. We are ready to transfer all our experiences here to create this ecosystem in Cyprus.” he said.
Gülle stated that they organized the new generation trade delegations in a way that would facilitate companies’ entry into new markets.
Stating that the TRNC Office will expand its work for these delegations and ensure that Cypriot companies are included in the trade delegations, Gülle continued as follows:
“TİM’s experiences on all legislative infrastructure such as the inward processing regime in force in Turkey, VAT receivables on exports, export registered sales, contracted agricultural supports and support of agricultural exports will be shared with our Cypriot exporters and the TRNC government by the TİM TRNC Office. In addition, Eximbank’s “We will expand our efforts to carry ‘s activities here as well. Digital transformation applications such as e-export, product-sector reports, paperless exports… All of these will be presented to our Northern Cypriot friends step by step.”
Gülle pointed out that TİM has organized large organizations on a national and international scale and said that they would like to see Cypriot exporters as stakeholders in these organizations. Gülle said, “On this occasion, I would like to give good news here; our Cypriot companies and friends will be our guests of honor this year at the Innovation Week and Design Week, which is in its 8th year.” said.
“TİM’s TRNC Office is capable of opening many doors”
TRNC Minister of Economy and Energy Hasan Taçoy also stated that today is a milestone for them and emphasized that TİM’s TRNC Office is capable of opening many doors.
Taçoy stated that although there are many negative developments in the world, it is a pleasure for them to make such an initiative in the TRNC, and said:
“Wars in the developing world have ceased to be territorial wars and have turned into oil and energy wars. Our region is in a very important position in this regard. The situation of the Southeastern Mediterranean and the Southeastern Mediterranean is an issue that concerns us very closely. Especially the TRNC’s Cyprus problem The current situation and the preconditions of the discussions brought about by the lack of a solution take us to much different points. Today’s question in the Southeastern Mediterranean is ‘could this region turn into a Greek-Greek lake?’ At this point, we all realize that we have come to different places with the steps taken by our motherland Turkey. Within the borders of the TRNC, we have watched the protection of many rights of the TRNC with our motherland Turkey until yesterday. This was perhaps just the beginning of the chess game, and this region alone has been protected. It was a response to the steps taken by the Greek Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots, who declared Libya to be a Libyan Libya. Subsequently, the agreement signed by Turkey with Libya once again brought Turkey’s influence in this region to the agenda and increased the importance of the region even more. This region has been in power for a clear 50 years. “It is a region that can continue to be more important because it is right on the energy resources.”
Taçoy emphasized that, as TRNC, they aim to choose sectors for 2020 and increase exports in these sectors, and that it is a chance to have a power like TİM on their side to achieve this.
Stating that they wish to break export records and reach double figures in TRNC with TİM, Taçoy said, “It is important for us that Turkey provides support in areas such as the establishment of R&D and incubation centers, the development of technology, and branding. Our motherland, Turkey, is our opening to the world.” “Our door. We are no longer a daughter homeland, we have turned 36 years old, we have become a border homeland somewhere. With the borders of the TRNC and the agreements we signed with our motherland Turkey, we have at least proven this maturity within the exclusive economic zone.” he said.
“We wish TRNC exporters to benefit from Eximbank mechanisms as well.”
KTSO President Candan Avunduk said that Turkey’s breaking a record in exports in 2019, increasing its exports sustainably for years, and its success in finding new markets make Turkish Cypriots proud and encouraged.
Stating that there is a downward trend in the exports of the TRNC despite Turkey’s exemplary steps in recent years, Avunduk said that the ratio of exports to imports, which rose to 50 percent in the 1980s in the TRNC, was caused by unfair embargoes against Turkish Cypriots abroad and politicians’ interference with production at home. He explained that it fell to 6 percent due to not paying attention to relevant policies and not being able to create a state policy regarding exports.
In this sense, Avunduk pointed out that, as TRNC, they are far below their potential, and made the following evaluations:
“This situation reveals that in addition to increasing our country’s export-related capacity, it is necessary to act in cooperation with TİM, which is Turkey’s only umbrella organization in exports. In this context, the opening of the TİM TRNC Office will be a great milestone and chance in terms of increasing the exports of the TRNC.” We think that by taking advantage of TİM’s knowledge and experience, a state policy will be established to develop TRNC’s exports, an ecosystem that supports exporters will be created, TRNC exporters will also benefit from Eximbank-related mechanisms for exporters in Turkey, and an achievable and realistic export target will be set for TRNC. We desire.”
Avunduk, who suggested aiming to increase the export-import coverage ratio for TRNC to double digits within 5 years, emphasized that the sustainable growth of the country is only possible with production.
Touching on the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Avunduk said, “We absolutely do not accept the initiatives of Greece, Israel, Egypt and Greek Cypriots that escalate the tension in the region by excluding Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots in the Eastern Mediterranean.” said.
Work to be carried out at TİM TRNC Office
According to the information provided, TİM’s TRNC Office will contribute to the improvement of the investment environment in TRNC, and know-how will be transferred to develop legislation that will offer new expansions in TRNC exports. On the other hand, joint studies will be carried out to increase export financing opportunities in TRNC.
Joint projects and activities will be organized in agreed areas through workshops, conferences, seminars, joint committees, technical delegation visits and information sharing. A dialogue channel will be created to establish cooperation between exporters from TRNC and Turkey.
TİM will provide informational support in training and mentoring-based studies aimed at bringing new exporters to the economy, training young entrepreneurs, and raising awareness for innovation, which require initiatives by state institutions and organizations agreed by the parties.
TİM will also provide technical and training support to KTSO on the digitalization of trade and e-commerce. In TRNC, investment areas with high levels of added value, technology and competitiveness that can be exported will be identified. Announcements, promotions and advertising activities will be carried out by KTSO in order to organize Turkish exporters, increase Turkish exports, and promote and increase awareness of Turkish products.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/ekonomi/tim-ilk-yurt-disi-temsilcilik-ofisini-kibrista-acti/1700141
