President TİM Gültepe: Foreign currency in Turkey is cheaper than watermelon

BURAK KARAGÖZ

The President of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TİM) Mustafa Gültepe added a new one to his complaints about the exchange rate.

Gültepe, TİM Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Machinery and Parts Exporters Association, Kutlu Karavelioğlu, TİM Board Member and Jewelry Exporters Association Chairman Burak Yakin and Adana Chamber of Commerce President Zeki Kıvanç answered questions from news in Kayseri.

TİM President Gültepe said that the tariffs introduced should be at a level that does not increase prices too much and allow for competition, and he said that ready-made clothing is one of the worst sectors at the moment, the both in terms of conversion. and profit.

Gültepe continued as follows: “It is the same in clothes… . So you have to pay the same prices. Currently, Türkiye is 40-50 percent more expensive than its distant competitors. If this exchange rate policy does not change in Turkey, business has no chance to survive. People went to Egypt. He also directs customers there. Everyone is declining. Isn’t it a shame for this industry? This business makes 30 billion dollars. We will give 30 billion dollars to the country. 20 billion dollars of this is net Foreign currency put in. The exporting countries in the world on a regional basis are 40-50 percent cheaper than you. The increase in the exchange rate in one year is 25 percent The increase in my expenses is 110 percent Instead of doing it like this, let what falls, what is left, and what is left, go. If he is going to do it, let it be immediately. It should not continue like this. The level of scissors in our country is very different. In our country, exporters are not concerned about making money, they are concerned about survival. Every sector is declining, industry is declining. “It’s hard for the businessman to see that downward trend.”

“Foreign currency in Turkey is cheaper than watermelon”

Mustafa Gültepe, “Do you complain about Mehmet Şimşek’s policies? ” On the question, he said that there was a problem called “inflation”, that in the first 6 months, they wrote 3 months of minus and 3 months of excess in exports, that exports stopped trade in 2023, that businesses lost the orders. received and could not maintain prices.

Gültepe said, “We have to fight against inflation. I think the business side has been forgotten a bit. So of course we may be lost. We should in such cases, but the size is important. But after a certain time it becomes unstable. Currently, industrialists and exporters are at the tip of the iceberg. under. We have to get over that iceberg. Türkiye is not expensive, it is very, very expensive. Foreign currency is the cheapest thing in Turkey right now. “It’s cheaper than watermelon.” he said. Insisting that the exchange rate has not increased at all in the past 3 months, but inflation has increased, Gültepe said, “There is no difference between (Dollar) 33 (lira) and 37 (lira). Make 37 (liras).” said.

Calendar at the Turkish Commercial Bank

In response to the question about when the Turkish Commercial Bank will start working, Gültepe said that the structure that will start working around October has started to form, the staff is going to be ready, and the bank will support investments and projects.

Gültepe, “As exporters, are you optimistic for 2025?” “I hope he gets better.” I want to look to the future with hope, but I can say that as long as this monetary policy continues in this way, we will have much more problems and it will be difficult. This must be something somewhere. People and companies can’t breathe. He has breathing problems. Companies have breathing problems, they can’t breathe. It’s not about belief. The business cannot function. ” he replied.

“They also attacked Cartier and Bvlgari in İstinyepark”

Burak Yakin, Member of the Board of Directors of TİM and President of the Association of Jewelry Exporters, reminded that there is currently an inspection for jewelers and jewelers and said: “Of course, they should do an inspection. We want to be registered. us gold We want the Basic Accounting System to come out. We have already conveyed this to our relevant ministers. This control was good for us to some extent. Our business needed a bit of a fix as well. Even if the unregistered people in the sector are dealt with or the taxes paid by the people or companies that are in charge or under investigation should be brought to the agenda. The worker he employs must put it on the register. So the investigation is amazing… They raided every shop they wanted. For this reason, for example, they attacked Cartier and Bvlgari in İstinyapark. That is very interesting. I think a better investigation can be done by asking the heads of the department. When we switch to the Gold Standard Accounting System, we will be 90 percent registered. They also came to my shop to check. They went into the cash warehouse and counted. 2 people came from finance and 2 people came from the Treasury. 4 people in each shop… They counted themselves. There are no general complaints. They said ‘according to conversion’. You go to the shop of the man who does not convert. They are going to whoever does the job at the moment. They will prepare a report for the Treasury Department. We expect that they will act again as a result of that report. This does not concern us. Let it be gold-based accounting. If they want to collect taxes from us, gold accounting should be introduced.”