RETURNING TRADE COUNSELLORS MEET WITH ANKARA CHAMBER OF INDUSTRY MEMBER INDUSTRIALISTS
The “One-on-One Meeting Event with Our Returning Trade Counsellors,” organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and hosted by the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ACI), was held with the strong participation of ACI members. During the program, up-to-date field information on target markets, sectoral opportunities, and cooperation possibilities were discussed, while important contacts were established to contribute to companies’ export strategies.
At the event, organized to ensure that target markets are accurately analyzed in foreign trade activities and that countries’ business culture, regulatory framework, sectoral opportunities, and potential risks are evaluated in light of current field information, Trade Counsellors shared the knowledge and experience they gained in the countries where they served with ACI members through one-on-one meetings.
Speaking at the opening of the program, ACI Vice Chairman Ercan Ata stated that competition in global markets is no longer limited to offering quality production or competitive prices. He emphasized that accurately analyzing the business culture, regulatory framework, local buyer expectations, and potential risks of target markets has become a determining factor in export success. Noting that Trade Counsellors closely observe not only economic data in the countries where they serve, but also real market trends, commercial practices, sectoral opportunities, investment possibilities, and potential risks, Vice Chairman Ata said, “We regard today’s event not merely as an information meeting, but as an important platform for contact that will broaden the export horizon of Ankara’s industry and contribute to the market strategies of our companies.”
“11 COUNTRIES ARE OF STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE FOR ANKARA INDUSTRY”
Emphasizing that Ankara industry has a broad production range extending from defense industry to machinery, from automotive to electrical-electronics, and from chemicals to medical sectors, ACI Vice Chairman Ata stated that Ankara’s exports reached 18.5 billion dollars in 2025 and that the city maintained its position as Türkiye’s second-largest exporting province. Drawing attention to the fact that Germany, Poland, Romania, Spain, the Russian Federation, Libya, Nigeria, Iran, India, Japan, and Albania, which were represented within the scope of the event, are strategically important markets for Ankara, Vice Chairman Ata noted that exports to these countries reached 3 billion 453 million dollars.
CONCRETE PROGRAMS FROM ACI TO STRENGTHEN EXPORT CAPACITY
Pointing out the importance of exporters diversifying their markets and anticipating risks in a period of increasing uncertainty in global trade, Vice Chairman Ata stated that the Ankara Chamber of Industry carries out concrete initiatives to strengthen the export capacity of its members. He noted that under the ACI Export Mentorship Program, launched in the spring term of 2026, members received training on topics such as customer and competitor analysis, market entry models, foreign trade operations, payment and delivery methods, and AI-supported export practices. ACI Vice Chairman Ata said, “As the Ankara Chamber of Industry, we consider enabling our members to expand into foreign markets in a safer, more informed, and more effective manner among our priority objectives. We will continue our efforts with determination to transform our production strength into greater exports, higher added value, and stronger international cooperation.”
Evren Subaşı, Head of the Department of Foreign Representations at the Ministry of Trade, stated that Trade Counsellor Offices are among the most important guides in the field for exporters and emphasized that the experiences of counsellors who have completed their overseas assignments will make significant contributions to companies’ expansion into new markets.
Within the scope of the program, Trade Counsellors who returned to Türkiye after serving in Poland, Iran, Japan, Germany, Spain, Romania, India, Russia, Albania, Libya, and Nigeria shared their knowledge and experience with ACI members in one-on-one meetings regarding the business culture, regulatory framework, sectoral opportunities, and current market dynamics of the countries where they served.
At the event, which aimed to contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of companies in international markets, exporters had the opportunity to access direct and up-to-date information on target markets, while important contacts were also established regarding new cooperation opportunities.
