OSTİM Chairman Orhan Aydın attributed the current employment situation to "the lack of a production-oriented policy." ASO President Nurettin Özdebir also stated, "We will invest and expand our businesses so that we can employ more people."
Orhan Aydın, Chairman of the OSTİM Board of Directors, who hosted the meeting attended by companies in the region and representatives from İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency) and SGK (Social Security Institution), emphasized that employment is among the top priorities for the region. Aydın said, “We have an Employment Office within our institution. For years, we have been an authorized employment office of İŞKUR. We are striving with all our might to find jobs for unemployed people.”
President Aydın, noting that industrialists are having trouble finding workers, said: “On one hand, we have unemployed people, and on the other hand, our industrialists say, ‘We are looking for workers but we can’t find them.’ Now, there’s a point where we don’t fully understand each other. From our perspective as an industrial company, yes, we can’t find the workers we need. Schools aren’t training the kind of people we want. We have a lot to say. We could find many reasons, such as, ‘Why should we hire workers when the government’s policies aren’t production-oriented?’”
Aydın, stating that industrialists should also do accounting, touched upon employment efforts in the region: “OSTİM has certain advantages of its own. Thank God, there is no transportation problem. OSTİM is the most workable and easily accessible region. In these conditions, I think OSTİM is a good place to offer good opportunities to our people and employees. As OSTİM, within our organized industrial zone, we have an Employment Office. We have been an authorized employment office of İŞKUR for years. We are striving with all our might to find jobs for unemployed people.”
"Giving someone a job is an act of worship"
Highlighting the social consequences that unemployment can bring, Orhan Aydın said, “When we imagine this man wandering the streets, idle, unable to create dreams… In the end, this man will confront us one day. He will either appear before us on the street or become a scoundrel or a thief… Therefore, giving someone a job, providing them with food, is like an act of worship. In this regard, we, as companies, should be a little more selfless. We should support our current employees. I believe that SMEs, small businesses, care more about them than larger ones. I wholeheartedly see and feel that they embrace them like older brothers, younger brothers, or fathers, and address their problems.”
“We did not prioritize production”
Aydın, emphasizing that the state has provided significant incentives for employment in recent years, attributed the increase in the unemployment rate to the "lack of production-oriented policies."
Aydın concluded his remarks as follows: “We did not prioritize production; we did not make production our first priority. We preferred foreign products. We awarded tenders to foreign companies for their goods. In fact, one might think: 'Take the unemployed people and let those companies employ them.' But we, fulfilling our country's responsibilities, are working to find jobs for these people and meet the needs of our companies. Thanks to İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency), the government currently has serious incentive policies in place. There are policies aimed at employing people. Hopefully, together, we will do our best, at least as a region and as a country.”
“Dependence on foreign products hinders local production”
ASO President Nurettin Özdebir stated that the country is going through a difficult period, saying, “We are seeing the repercussions of this in the economy, but we must not forget that the economic conditions are shaped by our individual choices. Our dependence on foreign goods prevents us from buying domestic goods. The foundation of the economy is formed by our choices and morale.”
Özdebir, stating that a very difficult year is behind them, shared the following views: “All of this negatively affected our morale and also reflected on our economy, and consequently, we started to experience many difficulties such as contraction in our businesses, delays in payments, and access to finance. The frog's eye was about to burst, but the state realized this and took a series of measures. From lifeline loans to breathing room loans, and up to 100% guarantees from the Credit Guarantee Fund (KGF) on banks, they took a number of measures, but the impact of these on our lives is continuing with a slight delay. A 5% reduction was made in corporate tax, and now a 5% reduction will also be made for income tax payers who regularly pay their taxes. All of this is necessary for more money to remain in the market, for more resources to be allocated to investment, and for businesses to grow. Why are we doing this? Of course, we are doing this to help the economy grow and to find a solution to one of the country's most important problems: employment. Because we will invest, we will grow our businesses so that we can employ more people.”
“The Production Reform Package includes many measures”
Özdebir, stating that he hopes Turkey can re-enter a period of rapid growth, said, “It is very important for a person to have a job that allows them to earn enough money to support their family. Here we are talking about 3.7 million unemployed people, and the situation of our young people who are joining the workforce every day is such that 22.6% of our young people are unemployed, and as of November, the number of unemployed is 3.715 million. In fact, despite all these bad conditions, the Turkish economy continues to create employment. Compared to the previous year, we have employed 980,000 people in the same period, but despite this, the unemployment figures are like this. The young population is the country's greatest advantage, but it also poses the greatest risk during periods of economic contraction. Currently, when we look at our demographic window, we are going through a period where the highest labor force participation is possible, and as a natural result, more than 1 million young people join the workforce every year. We need to find jobs for them, provide them with livelihoods, and create opportunities for them to make a living. We need to make a little more effort, keep our morale high, and wait for the measures that the state is announcing and that are gradually being implemented and will come to Parliament these days.” "There is a Production Reform Package, and within that package there are many measures that concern us and will pave the way for us. We are waiting for them, and I hope that when those hopes are realized, Turkey will be able to enter a period of rapid growth again," he said.
Özdebir stated that they couldn't find the employees they were looking for, but the government said, "You hire them, train them, and I'll pay their salaries during the training process." He added, "Starting from the next academic year, we had an Organized Industrial Zone Project that we implemented in OSTİM and Sincan. This is now considered a high school program; children will go to school two days a week and to work three or four days a week. During this time, they will receive an allowance equal to one-third of the minimum wage, two-thirds of which will be provided by the state, their insurance will be covered by the state, and the employer will bear a burden of one-sixth of the minimum wage. These people will be trained during this period."
“10,000 requests were fulfilled in February”
Ahmet Taşan, the Ankara Provincial Director of Labor and İŞKUR (Turkish Employment Agency), who also attended the meeting, emphasized that they are making a great effort to find jobs for the unemployed. Stating that they have set up stands at 200 different locations in Ankara to explain İŞKUR support programs, Taşan said, “In February, our employers requested 15,000 workers. We met 10,000 of these requests. We are trying to meet the remaining ones as well. We will also work together with you to overcome the difficulties regarding professional qualifications.”
Employment conditions for Syrian workers
Tuncay Cevheroğlu, the Ankara Provincial Director of the Social Security Institution (SGK), provided information regarding the employment of Syrian workers. Kantarcı touched upon the following points: “The status of Syrians is slightly different; they are considered to have temporary protection status. Therefore, like other work permits, they require permission from the General Directorate. However, the application process and required documents for Syrian work permits are much fewer, and access is much easier. Employing a Syrian without a work permit is illegal. A Syrian can only work if they reside in a province where they have been granted temporary protection status. They must have resided there for at least six months. This six-month period starts from the date they receive their identification number beginning with code 99 – there is also a dimension to this with the General Directorate of Migration Management – after which it is possible to employ a Syrian by applying.”
