Turkish Packology

In Brussels, Wood and Forestry Products Sector delivers his message to EU: "Turkey is ready!”

Established under the organization of Wood and Forestry Products Exporters Unions with the purposes of publicity of Wood Products and Forest Products sectors of Turkey across European Markets and restoring their images all European countries, Furniture, Paper, Cardboard, Packaging, and Paper Products and Stationary Promotion Groups launch an information and communication campaign.  Targets of the promotional campaign are

• To publicize the capacity of sector and advantages provided by, increase export volumes;
• To inform and promote European investors, those who are intended and capable of; 
• To be knowledgeable about demands and opinions of European importers.
• To learn the practices implemented by EU Agencies towards sector and improve the sector capacity by means of participating in these practices and to be involved in EU cooperation works.

Since the center of economic cooperation of 27 member states and EU business networks, Brussels, the capital of EU, is of an outmost importance for Turkish corporations, Project Management Committee Members, as representatives of promotion groups, Ms. Zeynep Kürklü, Mr. Mehmet Balıkçıoğlu, Mr. Levent Çolakoğlu, Mr. Dikran Acemyan; Mr. Abdullah Tever, Chairman of Wood and Forestry Products Sector Board and Ms. Dr. Yasemin Demirdağ, General Secretary of Istanbul Exporters Union made first of visits to Brussels.  

Representatives of EU Commission, Industry, Directorates General of Commerce, Environment and Taxation, EU Committee of Regions and EU Parliament attended in the promotional event held in Brussels on December 3, 2009.    Furthermore, it has been held meetings and exchanged information and ideas with umbrella organizations, such as Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), European Federation of Furniture Retailers (FENA), European Confederation of Woodworking Industries (CEI-Bois), Technological Platform for Wood and Forestry products (FBI Technology Platform), Brussels representatives of German and French chamber of commerce, representatives of business associations, and also with relevant companies.     The event was held in three subsequent sessions after the opening speech of Mr. Abdullah Tever, the chairman of Sectoral Board for Wood and Forestry Products.  

First session was held with the attendance of authorities from European Union agencies, Dr. Yasemin Demirdağ, General Secretary of Istanbul Exporters’ Unions, made her introductory presentation.  With this session, it is aimed at; development of constant communication channels with the public bodies regulating export - import environment through regulations executed at EU level and ensuring necessary information exchange in order to make wood products sectors of Turkey a part of  ongoing cooperation works which are for increasing business quality in coordination of public bodies.     

Second session is about furniture sector, last session is of paper, cardboard, packaging, paper products and stationery sectors; and the main purpose of these session is to redefine image of exporters being little-known or perceived negatively by target markets, to increase the visibility and heightening its profile by European importers, retailers, manufactures, to publicize the capacity developed as a result of investments in the recent years.      

For this purpose, presentations about manufacturing capacity, human resource, technological investment, design and creativity capacity, competitive prices of Wood and Forestry Products Sectors are communicated by sector representatives, members of Project Management Committee to umbrella bodies representing European importers, retailers and manufacturing.   Furthermore, perception and demands of importer and industrialists operating in contract manufacturing are enlightened and new initiatives to reach new markets are embarked on.  

 The promotional campaign events for Wood and Forestry Products will continue with the meetings in Germany (Berlin) and France (Paris) designated as target countries. The event in Germany will be held in February 2010 and in France to be in March 2010.