As part of the TOBB's 19th Turkish-Speaking Entrepreneurs Program, a delegation of 50 people evaluated commercial opportunities with OSTİM companies. OSTİM Chairman Orhan Aydın stated: “The most enduring language is the language of commerce. One of the most important factors in the formation of our cultural geography throughout the world is ethical merchants.”
As part of the 19th edition of the Turkish-Speaking Entrepreneurs Program, organized in collaboration between the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a group of 50 people held bilateral business meetings in OSTİM. During the event, a cooperation protocol was signed between three NGOs from Albania, Crimea, and Azerbaijan and the OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone.
Organized by TOBB (Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 19th edition of the program, which has been held since 2005 to strengthen ties between Turkey and Turkish-speaking entrepreneurs in neighboring countries, Central Asia, and the Balkans, is taking place. OSTİM, which is closely followed as a regional development model by countries in the nearby geography, especially the Turkic and Islamic world, brought together entrepreneurs from 50 different sectors from various Turkish-speaking countries with companies in the region.
Businesspeople from Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Northern Cyprus, Macedonia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Romania, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Greece invited OSTİM companies to invest in their countries and also made requests for supplies.
“We have a bond of hearts”
Speaking to the guests at the event, OSTİM Board Chairman Orhan Aydın emphasized the importance of people who speak the same language and believe in the same values coming to the region. Chairman Aydın said, “In this sense, we would be very pleased to be able to do business with you and to be of service to you. We have a shared sense of community, a feeling that stirs our hearts. But this alone is not enough! If we can do business with each other, develop business relationships, communicate, establish contact, and form a common force; this becomes more meaningful for all of us.”
Stating that they gave the delegation a blank check, Orhan Aydın said, “Our organization, OSTİM, is your organization. You can even use my office, including the desk I sit at, if it is useful for your business. Think of it as having an office here. We have expert teams in trade here, and clusters organized by sector. We are a team ready to listen to you, understand you, and respond to your requests.”
The most enduring language
Aydın, emphasizing the need to create opportunities for cooperation in Turkey together, stated: “Let's not leave it at ‘we speak the same language.’ The most enduring language is the language of commerce. One of the most important factors in the formation of our cultural geography throughout the world is ethical merchants. Those who spread this motivation in the world, those who brought Islam to Indonesia, were Muslim merchants. Otherwise, no one went there to preach Islam, but because of the ethical trade and quality relationships of Muslims, people preferred our beliefs. Therefore, this language is a valid language throughout the world. Doing business with each other is also a lasting and continuous language.”
During the program, a protocol was signed between the Albania-Türkiye Business Council, the Crimean International Businessmen's Association, the National Confederation of Businessmen of the Government of Azerbaijan, and the OSTİM Organized Industrial Zone.
The guests concluded their visits to OSTİM with tours of the OSTİM Medical Industry Cluster Showroom and various companies.
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