The huge price paid by our industry...
We are in a period in which the Medium Term Program (MTP) is progressing patiently and successfully step by step. At the moment, the economy administration considers reducing inflation permanently as its primary goal. As ICI, we also believe that our country should get rid of this scourge of inflation as soon as possible. In this challenging period, all segments of our society, especially our industry, are paying the price of the wrong economic policies of the past and are facing serious difficulties.
When we look at the process from our industrial sectors’ point of view, we believe that there is a need to increase the awareness of the impact of all the practices that have been implemented in terms of the recovery of the economy on our production life and our industry.
Today, our industrial sector has entered an increasingly significant slowdown period due to the slow growth in the world economy as ell as the increasing effects of tight monetary policies in Türkiye. Both the Turkish and sectoral PMI data and the ICI Export Climate Index, which we are releasing as the ICI, as well as macro data from the world economy, reveal that our industry is struggling under heavy stress both domestically and from abroad. This is also evident in the evaluations of industrialists who are members of the ICI Professional Committee.
As industrialists, it is our biggest wish that the MTP will be successful. However, everyone should realize that the industry has made the biggest sacrifice in this process and that it is showing signs of running out of patience and strength. Let's not forget how our country's industry wrote a success story 3 years ago during the pandemic, and how it devoted itself without disrupting its production despite all the difficult conditions. However, to put it bluntly, our industrial sector is paying a huge price even though it is not the source of the problem in this period.
At this month's Assembly meeting, we discussed and evaluated this important problem in detail with our Minister of Industry and Technology, Mr. Mehmet Fatih Kacır, and the members of the ICI Assembly. You can read Mr. Kacır's valuable solution-oriented approach and evaluations in our meeting in the following pages of our magazine. I believe they were very useful on many issues ranging from the visa problem, which is seriously affecting our industrialists, to the disruptions in market surveillance and inspection activities, to sustainability and to technological transformation.
Celebrating the first year of the second century of our Republic was very meaningful and valuable for all of us. With the proclamation of the Republic 101 years ago, the most important novelty on the way to establishing a modern society, the transfer of sovereignty to our nation opened a new page in our history. In the past century, our Republic got stronger and deeply rooted. On the 101st Anniversary of our Republic, I commemorate with respect and gratitude all those who contributed to the proclamation of the Republic, especially Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, and I wish you all a healthy and peaceful month.
Erdal Bahçıvan
Istanbul Chamber of Industry
Chairman of the Board of Directors