Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) President Şekib Avdagiç stated that a period of peace is currently emerging in Syria, noting, “We have sent two members of our Board of Directors to conduct an assessment.”
According to a written statement by İTO, President Avdagiç conveyed the expectations of Istanbul’s business community to Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır during last week’s İTO Assembly Meeting.
Highlighting the fast integration potential between Syrian businesspeople who once lived in Turkey and have now returned to Syria, Avdagiç said, “Within the framework of our state policy, we can swiftly benefit from certain investment opportunities by combining the cost advantages of our neighboring country with Turkey’s technological development.”
Avdagiç reiterated that a peace period is on the agenda in Syria and said, “We sent two members from our Board to conduct an assessment. They met with our ambassador, the Damascus Chamber of Commerce, and several industrialists. China has already been allocated 800 dönüms of land. Besides Damascus, we also consider Aleppo—due to its geographical and cultural proximity to Turkey—as a potential focus for investment.”
“We are requesting tailor-made support for industrial establishments in Istanbul”
Touching upon expectations from the business world regarding tailored support for industrial enterprises in Istanbul, Avdagiç stated:
“We do not support the idea that industry should be completely removed from Istanbul. We are thankful for the support provided by the Ministry of Industry and Technology. However, we have a specific request: there is no incentive program currently available for Istanbul. Incentives only apply for investments in the defense industry. We are asking for a very limited and tailor-made support mechanism for industrial companies in Istanbul—focused solely on next-generation technology investments and environmentally conscious renovation and development projects.”
“We face the absurdity of local administrators importing buses despite Turkey being a major producer”
Avdagiç also emphasized the importance of improving public procurement guarantees and called for strict enforcement of national and local purchasing policies.
He expressed disappointment that some local governments continue to resist this approach:
“Although Turkey is Europe’s largest bus manufacturing country, we find ourselves facing the absurd situation of local administrators importing buses for urban transport. We are deeply saddened by this. We ask for firm implementation and support for national and local procurement.”
İTO plans to relocate BTM to the technology hub at Atatürk Airport
Avdagiç also met with Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır to discuss relocating İTO’s Commercialization of Knowledge Center (BTM), which supports entrepreneurs and new ideas, to the upcoming technology hub planned at Atatürk Airport.
Stating that this request was positively received, Avdagiç thanked the Minister for his supportive approach.
“At BTM, we are currently squeezed into a 4,000-square-meter facility. In line with the vision of our government and our Minister, 200,000 square meters of the Atatürk Airport terminal buildings will be transformed into Turkey’s largest technology base. We conveyed our desire for İTO and BTM to take a leading role. We requested 10,000 square meters. Our infrastructure and systems are ready—we told the Minister we could pack our bags and move immediately. He responded with good news regarding space allocation for BTM, which will be a great benefit for us. On behalf of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce community, we extend our gratitude. Once our entrepreneurs at BTM move there, we will continue supporting them with even greater dedication.”
Source: Bloomberght/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök