İTHİB Chairman of the Board of Ahmet Öksüz said, “As the textile industry, our targets are big, but we know that we can accomplish these goals. Because our industry carries out integrated production in accordance with EU norms from yarn to end product. We are far ahead of our global competitors in the journey of sustainability and green transformation. However, for our future, we will continue to work for a livable world heritage. We need to give a good test on this road.”
In recent years, climate change, global warming and sustainability have started to take place among the main agenda items of the whole world. Many countries, especially European countries, are taking steps one after the other to ensure sustainability and introducing new regulations. While the new regulations are closely related to all units from production to export, efforts have been accelerated in Turkey to adapt to the new era, improve production conditions, and leave a more livable world to future generations. In this context, İstanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Association (İTHİB), which has carried out many studies in the past years, organized the "Clean Production & Clean Water Practices Workshop on the Axis of Green Transformation in the Textile Industry" in cooperation with the Turkey Textile Finishing Industrialists Association (TTTSD). İTHİB Chairman of the Board Ahmet Öksüz delivered a speech at the workshop which was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Industry and Technology, and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, as well as by the academicians, consultants and sector companies.
“We Produce in accordance with EU Norms”
While stating that for the first time in the Turkish textile industry, all relevant parties came together and discussed the roadmap for clean production and water consumption, Ahmet Öksüz said, “As the textile industry, we produce 49 billion dollars and export 13 billion dollars annually. I would like to proudly state that we are the fifth largest supplier in the world and the second largest in the EU. While Turkey's overall exports are still 1% of the world's exports, our textile industry has a 3.5% share. Our goal is to be one of the top 3 exporting countries in the world. For this, we should increase our exports by 3 billion dollars more and focus on value-added exports.” While pointing out that achieving these goals is actually quite easy, Ahmet Öksüz continued as follows; “Because we are a country that makes integrated production from fiber to dyehouses, from yarn to final product. We produce in accordance with EU norms. We are far ahead of our competitors in the journey of sustainability and green transformation.”
"We Have To Give A Good Exam For The Future"
While emphasizing that the textile industry, which is Turkey's integrated power, cannot stand still, Ahmet Öksüz said, “We still have steps to take. The use of water is also one of our most sensitive solution targets. Nearly two billion people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water. Turkey's annual usable water amount is on the other hand approximately 112 billion cubic meters. The largest share in water supply in Turkey belongs to the manufacture of food products with 22 percent. The food industry is followed by textile products with a share of 18 percent and the manufacture of chemical products with a share of 16 percent. What these numbers give us; it shows that we need to give a good test for the world, and for our future.”
In the workshop where ministry representatives and academicians made presentations and highlighted good practice examples from the world and Turkey which were on stage; the most important agenda items of the industry, such as minimizing the use of water by the textile industry, using more efficient water, and evaluating the use of waste water, were all taken into exhibits. Representatives of companies from many provinces of Turkey participated in the workshop, which was held in an interactive format, and they received the most up-to-date information from the Ministry and academics and had the opportunity to ask their questions to the relevant experts. In the workshop, it was decided to create an organic structure that would carry out studies on the determined topics by forming sub-committees on each agenda item.
