| Lütfü KÜÇÜK | |
| Chairman of the Board of TUGIAD |
|
YES! Iran + Egypt |
As you remember, in the September-October issue of Elegans, I had tried to find out the answer of the question “Do Neighbor Countries Provide a Solution against Global Crisis” and I had mentioned three target countries that became important lately: Iran, Russia and Armenia.
70% of the total export of Turkey is made to USA and EU countries and Turkey need to consider the probable recession in these markets and urgently make a country based and activity oriented business plan in relation with alternative markets.
TUGIAD, as already stated in various platforms, has already started activity-oriented works in this issue.
A committee, consisting of the members of TUGIAD that represent mainly the automotive and its subsidiary industry, has visited between 9 – 14 November Teheran, the capital city of Iran. During this visit, which can be deemed as the preliminary mission for the visit of TUGIAD Commercial Committee in Teheran in February 2009, we visited the 3rd International Automotive Subsidiary Fair organized in Teheran, the 1st Plastic Products Technology and Machine Equipments Fair and the leading plants of the industry such as VAMCO of Iran Khodro and Mammut and organized bilateral business meeting with the representatives of the industry.
Beyond the positive impressions we had, business collaborations realized by the members of our committee and the volume and diversity of the received orders are important signs of the appropriateness of our statements about the alternative markets.
Our operations towards alternative markets will go on with the visit of Egypt that we will realize between 19 and 21 December. About 20 members of TUGIAD will make official and bilateral business meetings, hosted by the Egyptian Young Businessmen Association (EJB) in Cairo, Egypt. In this visit of Cairo, we will also review the last version of the statute of the “Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Young Businessmen Platform” which was developed and managed by TUGIAD and which the Egyptian EJB joined in January 2008. I guess this committee will be as successful than the committee in Iran.
TUGIAD has marked another success with the power given by its members. In the Ordinary General Assembly of the European Young Businessmen Confederation (YES) held in Hannover, Germany between 20 and 21 November 2008, our Association was unanimously elected to the Vice-Chairman and the Treasurer positions. The other vice-chairmen commissioned under the chairmanship of Martin Ohlenberg that represents the Austrian IV 1031 Association, are Annibale Chiriaco representing Italian Confindustria, Sempere Massa representing Spain and Dirk Martin representing German BJU. And, Mr. Suat Lemi fiişik, the Resident Representative of our Association in Brussels was nominated as the General Secretary of YES. YES, founded in 1991 by 6 founding members (Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Portugal) is now a big confederation that includes Young Businessmen Associations and Federations from 16 countries and counting about 40.000 members.
I believe that TUGIAD’s activities and proposals of concrete projects in relation with its thesis that YES, which has been carrying out lobbying activities before EU to defend the interests of the European Young Businessmen and which used to declare its opinions on relevant socio-economical issues, must transform and defend also the commercial interest of its members, taking into account of the global economic recession, contributed a lot to its election.
I noted with pleasure that the members of YES, namely Italy, Portugal and Austria have a positive approach to this commercial transformation and that they expressed in the meetings their belief that TUGIAD, as the Vice-Chairman of YES will successfully assume this responsibility.
The new strategy of TUGIAD is to benefit from the member network of the European Young Businessmen Confederation not only for lobbying activities, but also to develop and diversify commercial relationship. This approach which is fruitful, not only for TUGIAD, but also for the other Young Businessmen Association and Federations, will help YES, consisting mainly of SMEs, to become also a commercial lobbying power.
I will continue informing you about TUGIAD, YES and the target markets and announce the activities of TUGIAD for the economic, politic and social interests of our country and of our members.
On this occasion, I hope that the New Year 2009 will bring wealth, happiness and peace to the whole world and wish you a happy new year.
