Mustafa Gültepe Era Begins at Turkish Exporters' Assembly

Mustafa Gültepe Era Begins at Turkey Exporters Assembly Mustafa Gültepe, elected to the position of Board Chairman at the 29th Ordinary General Assembly of Turkey Exporters Assembly (TİM) held on 13 June, took over the duties from İsmail Gülle. Speaking at the handover ceremony, TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe said, "Our aim is to bring Turkey closer together to the USD 500 billion export target. That is why we must all work very hard. Our duty is to prepare Turkey Exporters Assembly and our exporters well for the future." The handover ceremony at Turkey Exporters Assembly (TİM), the umbrella organization of 61 exporter associations, 27 sectors and more than 100,000 exporters, took place at the Ömer Halisdemir Conference Hall of the Foreign Trade Complex. Mustafa Gültepe, elected to the position of TİM Board Chairman by delegates at the 29th Ordinary General Assembly of Turkey Exporters Assembly (TİM) held on 13 June, took over his duties from the previous chairman İsmail Gülle.

"We Experienced a General Assembly Where Tolerance and Consultation Prevailed"

Former TİM Chairman İsmail Gülle, speaking at the ceremony, said they left a mark on history by going through 2020 with the pandemic, 2021 with records, and holding a general assembly in 2022, stating, "We did good work. The very atmosphere we created today is a story in itself. It was truly an exemplary general assembly. We experienced a general assembly where tolerance and consultation prevailed. What matters is leaving a good echo in the chamber. If we managed that, that is our happiness as well," he said. İsmail Gülle, noting that he served together with Mustafa Gültepe, who was elected to the TİM Chairmanship during his tenure, for 4 years, said, "He has been in exports for a very long time. With the new management he will establish, he will do successful work. This is a relay race. It is a relay race where everyone starts at the same time and runs swiftly to hand the baton to the colleague waiting ahead. We did this duty. We did these things in a family warmth. I thank all the chairmen who served together with me during my term of office," he said.

"Together We Will Bring Turkey Closer to the USD 500 Billion Export Target We Have Set"

  New TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe, emphasizing that as TİM they will continue the unity and solidarity they have demonstrated on behalf of all exporters from now on, said: "Exporter, whether as a sector, individual or institution, is one of the most monitored and most watched entities for Turkey right now. For 4 years, together with Chairman İsmail and colleagues in the management board, we tried to do our best with what we had. Chairman İsmail never stopped, giving 24 hours of himself and doing everything in his power. TİM was open to everyone during Chairman İsmail's term. Everyone could comfortably express their concerns and problems. Together with Chairman İsmail, we tried to find solutions to these problems as much as we could," he said. New TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe, noting that positions are temporary and that their real work is their own business, stated: "It is difficult to serve in these positions without having our own business and operations. We must first be good in our own business so that we can continue records as we did in 19 of the last 21 months. The Exporters Assembly should set forth its vision, and we as companies and associations should determine strategies in line with the information coming from them, and work towards bringing Turkey together to very different positions in the periods ahead. The duty is a great one, a challenging one. We are aware of this. But I believe that by evaluating each sector separately and conducting separate workshops, we will bring Turkey closer together to the USD 500 billion export target we have set. The more we can bring it closer, the more people will feel happiness and pride from it. That is why we must all work very hard. Our aim is to prepare Turkey Exporters Assembly and our exporters well for the future. All work to be done regarding this future should be done together, through consultation. As TİM, we will try to do this. TİM is a big family. Our duty is difficult, but accomplishing difficult things is one of the finest things," he said.