Gaziantep, the locomotive of the carpet industry in our country, hosts the Gaziantep Carpet Fair, which is organized to promote Turkey's influence and diversity in carpet production to the world. Prepared with the cooperation of Tüyap Fair Organization Group, Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, Gaziantep Carpet Producers Chamber and with the support of Gaziantep Governorship, Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and Southeastern Anatolia Carpet Exporters Association (GAHIB), Gaziantep Carpet Fair aims to contribute to the development of the sector by bringing together the giant brands of the industry and international buyers.
The Fair Attracted Great Attention from the First Day
The fair has become the center of attention of sector member visitors when it opened its doors on May 28. At the fair, domestic and foreign exhibitors showcase their products, mainly in a range of machine-made carpets, prayer rugs, mats and rugs. 150 companies and company representatives from 10 countries are participating in the fair, which is held in 2 halls and on an area of 25 thousand square meters.
Tüyap Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc. General Manager İlhan Ersözlü said, “We are proud to organize one of the most important events of the carpet industry. This year, visitors from 80 countries registered at our fair, as well as participants shown a great interest from regions such as the Middle East, Europe, Africa and America. Additionally, there are more than 200 purchasing delegations at our fair. These delegations include procurement delegations from countries such as Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Iraq, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Egypt and Mauritania. The interest of these valuable participants in our fair proves once again the importance of Gaziantep in the carpet industry and the reputation it has earned internationally. Negotiations, agreements and collaborations to be held throughout the fair will create huge opportunities for both our participating companies and for our industry. I hope our fair will be productive and successful for all of us. On this occasion, I would like to thank everyone whom contributed to the realization of our fair and express my pleasure to our valued participants and to our guests."
''Brand City Gaziantep''
Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce Chairman Tuncay Yıldırım stated in his opening speech that Gaziantep is a city that has become a brand in carpet weaving not only in Turkey but also around the world. Yıldırım said, “Our city, one of the important stops of the historical Silk Road, has been the center of trade and craft for centuries. According to TOBB Industry Database data, the production capacity of machine-made carpet in our country is 430 million square meters annually. 75 percent of this, approximately 322 million square meters of production capacity, is in Gaziantep. The city achieves 83 percent of domestic carpet exports and 34 percent of world exports as well. In short, millions of square meters of carpets are woven on hundreds of looms in our city, and there is a big industry that employs more than 30 thousand people. The data shows that carpet is the strongest muscle of the Gaziantep industry, as you know, in order to keep a muscle in our body strong, we need to exercise it and not feed it properly. Therefore, every sectoral fair held in the city contributes to the revival of the tourism sector and to our local tradesmen. Our fair, along with its contributions to our local economy, also allows the promotion of Gaziantep's cultural and touristic values. I would like to thank our local and foreign exhibitor companies whom participated at the Gaziantep Carpet Fair with their stands, to our visitors, contributors and all those whom supported us and I wish our fair to be beneficial for all of us."
