The “D-8 Industry Ministers Summit,” held at the Haliç Congress Center, was attended by the Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Nihat Ergün, the President of MÜSİAD Ömer Cihad Vardan, the President of TUSKON Rızanur Meral, the Vice President of TOBB and the President of İTO Murat Yalçıntaş, the President of TÜSİAD Ümit Boyner, the D8 Secretary General Widi Pratikto, the President of KOSGEB Mustafa Kaplan, as well as ministers from D-8 countries and numerous other guests.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Nihat Ergün noted that Istanbul had the honor of hosting the establishment process of the D-8 14 years ago. Minister Ergün stated that the establishment of the D-8 was an important step not only in terms of the social, political and economic power of the 8 countries present at the table, but also in achieving justice, peace and development worldwide. He expressed his belief that it is possible to create a world where the world's resources are shared fairly and where cooperation, justice and peace prevail, adding that human history, especially the last few centuries, has unfortunately been filled with many negative scenes in these areas.
Murat Yalçıntaş, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), stated that the economic potential of the D-8 countries, which possess vast resources and potential, should be used more effectively in line with common interests. In his speech at the opening of the D-8 Industry Ministers Summit, Yalçıntaş stated that the D-8 countries, with their dynamic population of over one billion spread across Asia, Africa, and Europe, as well as their rich natural and energy resources, and high business potential in a wide range of sectors, primarily agriculture and tourism, constitute centers of attraction in the world. Murat Yalçıntaş emphasized that SMEs form the core of economies, and in this context, cooperation mechanisms that D-8 countries' SMEs will establish among themselves are important for opening up to international competition. Yalçıntaş said, "For this, we must increase mutual trade, develop the talents and skills of our youth to increase our competitiveness in the world market, and strengthen our entrepreneurship."
In his speech, Ömer Cihad Vardan, President of the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD), noted that businesspeople from D-8 member countries should prioritize each other in trade. Expressing his satisfaction that the D-8, which aims to increase the share of eight developing countries – Bangladesh, Turkey, Iran, Malaysia, Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Pakistan – in the world economy, is working to contribute to the development of each member country by improving cooperation among them, Vardan continued: 'The importance of engaging in more productive collaborations, especially in the industrial sector, which is the locomotive of development, to gain a better place in the world economy cannot be denied. To achieve this, it is necessary to implement job-generating projects as soon as possible. The main goals of these projects should be to increase industrial production, to establish stronger ties among members within this framework, and to attract investment from both D-8 members and countries outside the D-8.' Vardan stated that while member countries are working to increase their share in world trade, meeting each other's commercial needs should be their primary focus.
Rızanur Meral, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Confederation of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON), announced their readiness to sign joint investment agreements. Meral continued: "There are significant opportunities in D-8 countries, particularly in construction, energy, chemicals, textiles and ready-made clothing, tourism, health, agriculture, and finance. We believe that business partnerships between private sectors, alongside inter-country relations, will create great synergy."
Ümit Boyner, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association (TÜSİAD), emphasized that the interdependence between world economies is increasing day by day. Boyner continued his speech as follows: "In the current period, the capabilities, production potential, and contributions of developing countries to the world economy have become critical in terms of managing the global crisis. Especially considering that these economies have begun to shoulder the burden of world growth during this troubled period..."
Working Groups
During the working group meetings, the Ostim Defense and Aerospace Cluster and the Renewable Energy and Environmental Technologies, Medical Industry, and Construction and Industrial Machinery Clusters, all located under the Ostim Organized Industrial Zone, effectively presented information about both Ostim and their respective clusters.
