Ahmet Gulec, President of the Federation of Furniture Associations (MOSFED), said, “Our export target in the furniture industry for 2028 is $12 billion.”
A press conference was held regarding the International Istanbul Furniture Fair-IIFF 2024, which will be held on 23-28 January by the Federation of Furniture Associations (MOSFED) in cooperation with Tuyap Fair Organization Inc.
Speaking at the press conference regarding the fair to be held simultaneously at Tuyap Congress and Fair Center and Istanbul Expo Center, MOSFED President Gulec said that Turkiye is the 7th in the world in global furniture exports.
Stating that Turkiye is a furniture country, Gulec said, “We have increased our market share in the world. Now our goal is to go one step higher. We have a difference of $300-$500 million between us and the USA. Hopefully, we will come to the 6th place with the work we do in America. Our next target is the top 5. The top 5 includes China, Poland, Vietnam, Italy and Germany. Hopefully, we will exceed one of these, our target is $12 billion.”
Gulec emphasized that the International Istanbul Furniture Fair, which made Istanbul one of the most prestigious furniture centers in the world, made a serious contribution to exports and branding.
“We turned Istanbul into a furniture meeting center”
Ahmet Gulec stated that “having a globally accepted fair” lies in the global growth story of Turkish furniture and said, “Due to the intense demand we received today, we are using all the halls in the Istanbul Fair Center and Tuyap Fair and Congress Center for the fair. With its scope, presentation and content, we have become one of the 3 most prestigious furniture meetings in the world and made Istanbul the furniture meeting center.”
Noting that more than 1000 companies with more than 3 thousand brands participated in the International Istanbul Furniture Fair, which will be held for the third time this year, Gulec said that 200 thousand visitors will come to this organization to both see the trends and establish new collaborations.
Gulec noted that there was great effort and organizational skills behind this success and continued his words as follows:
“We all believe in the growth story that Turkiye has written in furniture and strive to contribute to it, and the International Istanbul Furniture Fair undertakes a great task in this respect. There is an export target of $375 billion envisaged for 2028 in the 12th Development Plan. Our 2028 export target in the furniture industry is $12 billion. We want to export only $1 billion of the $12 billion furniture export to the USA, the world’s largest furniture importer. For this reason, our fair, which has made Istanbul one of the meeting centers of the world furniture industry, now has a greater duty and responsibility than yesterday.”
“Our goal is to be one of the top 5 exporters in the world”
MOSFED President Gulec stated that the 2025, 2026 and 2027 calendar of IIFF, which brings together manufacturers and the world’s important buyers and forms the basis for billion-dollar collaborations, is ready today. “The target is to be one of the 5 largest exporters in the world. In addition to the Turkish furniture manufacturer, the fair will also include national and individual exhibitors from India, Germany, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Egypt, Greece, Russia and America.”
Stating that they employ 242 thousand people on the production side and more than 250 thousand people on the store side, and that their presence in every region of Turkiye and being a serious customer of the sub-industry creates a large ecosystem, Gulec gave the following information:
“Today, we are the 7th largest exporter in the world and we are working with the goal of becoming one of the top 5 exporters by 2028. As the umbrella organization of the Turkish furniture industry, we believe in our growth story in the world together with our manufacturers and we use all the tools to tell and show ourselves. It is extremely important to design good furniture, produce good furniture and show our brands here to the world with our own brand fair. We have a great responsibility, but we have full faith.”
“IIFF contributes greatly to the furniture industry reaching its export targets”
Tuyap Fair Organization Inc. General Manager Ilhan Ersozlu stated that contributing to Turkiye’s furniture exports represents an important mission of the fair and talked about the contributions of the event to the sector.
“We think that the tens of thousands of visitors we will bring to Istanbul will make significant contributions to the ecosystem of the megacity.” Ersozlu concluded his words as follows:
“IIFF makes a great contribution to the furniture industry reaching its export targets. It further elevates Turkiye’s position as the production base in furniture. As TUYAP Fair Organization Group, with the cooperation of MOS Fair Organization Inc. and the support of MOSFED, we have been organizing a very successful organization for two years in all halls of Tuyap Fair and Congress Center and Istanbul Expo Center, on a net area of 125 thousand square meters. We went through a very intense preparation process. Within the scope of IIFF2024, we will bring together 200 thousand people from dozens of countries with 3 thousand brands, thanks to our offices abroad and our global connection network.”
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz