Tuzla Boat Show, sponsored by the Shipbuilding Industrialists’ Association (GISBİR), opened its doors.
Organized by Via Fuarcılık and under the main sponsorship of GISBIR, Tuzla Boat Show opened its doors with a ceremony.
The opening ceremony of the fair, which will be held at Viaport Marina between October 5-13, was attended by Ali Akça, District Governor of Tuzla; Şadi Yazıcı, Mayor of Tuzla; Salih Zeki Çakır, Chairman of the Assembly of IMEAK Chamber of Shipping; Murat Kıran, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Shipbuilding Industrialists; Cem Seven, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Ship and Yacht Exporters; Coşkun Bayraktar, Chairman of Via Properties; Orhan Torlak, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Shipbuilding Industrialists; and many other guests.
Delivering the opening speech of the ceremony, Coşkun Bayraktar, Chairman of the Board of Via Properties, expressed their happiness for organizing the 4th Tuzla Boat Show this year and thanked GİSBİR for their support. Stating that the fair created an added value for Tuzla, Coşkun said, ’This year, around 150 thousand foreign tourists came to this project. This is an important contribution for the district. Such organizations contribute more to the district than us and we will continue to support them. We will continue our work by growing with your support.
Yacht exports are very important
Speaking at the ceremony, Cem Seven, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ship and Yacht Exporters‘ Association, wished success to the local and foreign companies participating in the fair. Stating that ship and yacht exports are among the important and prestigious export elements of our country, Seven said that boat production is among the sectors that governments attach importance to as it contributes to the development of the industry as well as employment and added value in the regions where boat production takes place. Pointing out that boat manufacturing in Italy, which is an important boat production center, has a significant share of 15 percent in the country's economy together with the subsidiary sectors, Seven said, ’Worldwide yacht exports are around 11 billion dollars annually. Our country's share of this cake is around 250 million dollars. Therefore, we have a long way to go. The general export of our country was 1 billion dollars in 2018. Yacht exports were 180 million dollars in this figure. As of the end of September 2019, 720 million dollars of ship and yacht exports have been realized. In this 720 million, the yacht is 92 million dollars. Why is yacht important? Because it creates employment, creates added value and also paves the way for the development of domestic equipment. Our fairs are of great importance in this respect. In addition to bringing buyers and sellers together, it also contributes to our country in terms of prestige.
Let's bring a fairground to Tuzla
Murat Kıran, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GİSBİR, thanked those who contributed to the realization of the fair and the participants for their support. Stating that the shipbuilding industry has an important share in the development of Tuzla, Mr. Kıran said, ‘They removed the shipyards from Ayvansaray because it was in the city. They sent us here as the farthest point of Istanbul. When we came here, there was nothing. After we arrived, of course, we needed housing, social life, schools, hospitals, doctors and so on. In 1992, we became a district. Since 1992, we continue to develop our district together. I express everywhere that the share of the shipbuilding industry in this development is very large and I want this right. Our mayor has a lot of labor and services here. He is currently serving his third term. They have contributed a lot to our district. There is a reason why we say Tuzla Boat Show here; you know we have an airport very close to our district, we have enough hotels, social facilities, restaurants, hospitals, we have everything. But we do not have a fairground. Mr. President; I hope that you will crown your services by making our district an important fair center of Istanbul, perhaps Turkey, by bringing a fairground to our district in this period. We are ready to do our best in this regard. Not only as a maritime or boat show, we have 5 organized industrial zones. When we look at it now, 70 percent of Istanbul's production is on the eastern side. Therefore, let's make use of this opportunity together. Let's bring this fairground to our Istanbul. Let's increase our employment in our district, increase our foreign currency inflow to our country and contribute to the foreign currency inflow that our country needs the most in recent years.
The added value of our exports is very high
Referring to the ship and yacht export figures, Kıran stated that the sector experienced a slight decline in ship and yacht exports this year. Stating that the export figures of the sector will go up with the deliveries to be realized in the coming weeks, Kıran said, ‘When we look at the figures for the past 10 years, we provide a foreign currency input of over 2.5 billion dollars with the average repair and maintenance, shipbuilding, defense industry, yacht industry and the productions we make in free zones that are not included in our figures. When we look at the country figures, it may not be very big, but the added value of our exports is very high. In other words, while we are making these exports, our imports are around 35 percent. There are sectors that bring big figures, but the export figures are one click higher. We bring this foreign currency here, we bring it to our country and we keep it here.
I will do my best for Tuzla Fair Center
Taking the floor after Kıran, Tuzla Mayor Şadi Yazıcı said that the shipbuilding industry was a lifeline for Tuzla, where they came from at the time. Yazıcı mentioned that the shipbuilding industry has made a significant contribution to Tuzla becoming one of the most well-known districts in the world and said, ‘We are also making efforts for the development of our district and to make its name more known. We support the investor. We endeavor to encourage our investors and pave the way for them as much as we can. We do this in every field. When we set out to build our marina, some said it was a dream, but we completed it in 3.5 years. We are proud of being one of the marinas built in the shortest time in the world. The fairs and events organized here are very important for us. We are also saddened by the difficulties faced by our shipbuilding industry. Their work provides both employment and foreign currency inflow to our country. President Yazıcı added that he will do his best to bring an exhibition center to Tuzla and to further develop Tuzla, which GİSBİR Chairman Murat Kıran expressed.
Maritime will be the driving force to become one of the world's top 10 economies
Speaking at the ceremony, Salih Zeki Çakır, Chairman of the Assembly of IMEAK Chamber of Shipping, stated that the Boat Show Fair, which has been held in Tuzla for 4 years, has met an important deficiency and thanked everyone who contributed to its organization.
Pointing out that Istanbul is the capital of maritime in Turkey and Tuzla is a district where maritime activities are intense, Çakır said, ‘’ In Tuzla, activities in the fields of shipbuilding industry, repair and maintenance, sub-industry, maritime education and maritime tourism are widely seen. With the fair organized for the last 4 years, it has overcome another deficiency. It is a district with increasing potential. But as our presidents have stated, we still have a long way to go.
Stating that he believes that maritime industry must develop in order for Turkey to be among the world's top 10 economies within the framework of its 2023 targets, Çakır said, ‘’ If Turkey's economy is to be among the top 10 largest economies in the world in 2023, Turkish maritime industry must also be among the top in the world rankings. In my opinion, this is a situation that will be realized through maritime. Maritime is one of the most driving forces for the enrichment of our country. As a sector with high added value and high employment, our maritime industry cannot be invested in and encouraged enough. For years, we have had a coaster renewal project in this region, which we believe will make serious contributions to our sub-industry, shipbuilding industry and maritime fleet. It is a project that has been delayed due to some economic, some political and some other reasons, but as the Chamber of Shipping, we are constantly trying to keep it on the agenda.
Speaking lastly at the ceremony, Ali Akça, the District Governor of Tuzla, stated that Tuzla is a district that embodies many values and frequently makes a name for itself. Akça stated that Tuzla is an industrial district as 5 of the 8 organized industrial zones in Istanbul are located in Tuzla, and that it is also home to important universities, and that the district is in a position to produce in various aspects. Akça added that they will work together with all elements for the further development of Tuzla.
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