The First ANSAF 2010 Fair Takes Place
The First Ankara Chamber of Industry Fair (ANSAF 2010) organized by the Ankara Chamber of Industry (ASO) and held between 1 and 5 October 2010 and the Second Turkish Armed Forces Materials Expo concurrently held between 1-10 October 2010 hosted many ministers, Members of Parliament, bureaucrats, the presidents and officials of NGOs and many industrialists.
The Second Turkish Armed Forces Materials Expo organized jointly between the Turkish Armed Forces and the ASO opened with a ceremony at the ASO Trade Center in the Sincan Organized Industry Zone on 30 September 2010. The ceremony hosted by the ASO President Mr. Nurettin Özdebir was attended by Minister of National Defence Mr. Vecdi Gönül, the Defence Minister of Iraq, Mr. Abdülkader Mohammad Jassim Al-Mafraji, the Commander of the Land Forces Command General Erdal Ceylanoğlu, the Undersecretary for Defence Industries (SSM) Mr. Murad Bayar, many military officials and the military attaches of various countries.
The opening of the Ankara Industry Fair took place with a ceremony at the Sincan ASO First Organized Industry Zoneon 1 October 2010 with the participation of nearly 170 domestic and foreign firms from 12 countries. The opening of the Fair hosted by the ASO President Mr. Nurettin Özdebir saw the Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Ali Babacan, the Governor of Ankara Mr. Alaaddin Yüksel, the President of the Turkish Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges Mr. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Mr. Ali Boğa, the Mayor of the County of Yenimahalle, Ankara Mr. Fethi Yaşar, Members of Parliament, presidents of chambers, many industrialists and businessmen.
In his speech at the opening ceremony of the Ankara Industry Fair, Mr. Ali Babacan, Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister stated how pleased he was with the opening of the first industry fair in Ankara and mentioned that this was a first for the industry of Ankara that had come to the very forefront in recent years and that exports to the four corners of the world are now taking place from the capital.
Mr. Babacan said that the capital located in the middle of Anatolia is, at the first instance, a province where public agencies predominate but that the industry in Ankara has now reached a position where it is mentioned throughout the world. Aside from the Ankara Industry Fair, realized for the first time this year, the Deputy Prime Minister drew attention to the fact that the Second Turkish Armed Forces Materials Expo is also taking place at the same location and noted that it was of significant importance of the place reached by the Turkish defence industry and that today it was an industry that produced materials to armies throughout the four corners of the world.
Expressing the view that the point reached by Turkey in her economy and industry was closely followed throughout the world, Mr. Ali Babacan stated that the per capita income of about 3,000 dollars in 2002 had today reached up to 10,000 dollars. Mr. Babacan said: “Maybe during last year’s economic crisis we went slightly below 10,000 dollars but in this year’s total our estimate is that we will again reach a national per capital of around 10,000 dollars”.
Indicating that in this growth, industry, the investor, industrial production has a very important share, Babacan said that in the growth obtained from last year to the present time it can be seen that private sector investments had a tremendously significant role. Mr. Babacan continued by saying: “Just in the months of April through June, the investments that took place by the private sector in Turkeyare 41.5 billion liras. If we take into account that the central government’s one year investment budget is 20 billion liras, we can better understand what the Turkish private sector has achieved in three months.”
The President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Mr. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu in his opening remarks at the fair stated that technological developments are hand in hand with the defence industry. “For this reason our defence industry must be supported by domestic industry. If our goal is to be among the ten largest economies in the world in 2023 then, in particular, we must turn our defence industry into a domestic industry” said Mr. Hisarcıklıoğlu.
Expressing the view that one of the most important inconveniences in the transition from a civil servant city to a industrial and trade city is that a fair ground was not available and that the products produced are not exhibited, TOBB President Mr. Hisarcıklıoğlu underlined that an important part of Turkey’s exports is made up from industrial products and that in many cities in Anatolia small and medium scale enterprises have written their success story and that these enterprises have had a great impact in economic growth.
Indicating that the defence industry has a vital role in technological development, Mr. Hisarcıklıoğlu said that industrialized nations support their industry in this manner as well. The President of TOBB voiced the view that, “Our defence industry must be supported by the domestic industry. If our goal is to be among the top ten economies in 2023, we must turn our defence industry into a domestic industry.”
The Governor of Ankara, Mr. Alaattin Yüksel, in his speech stated that together with a new century the global millennium theater had opened its curtains and that within this theater scene the existing décors did not in any way resemble the décors of any previous century. Mr. Yüksel went on by saying: “Within this décor are exports, competition and the name of the game is sustainable development… If we want to be a leader and a pioneer province, we need to use new headings.”
Indicating that work on a fair area had been on-going for three years, ASO President Mr. Nurettin Özdebir said: “The zoning plan was approved and the place prepared. Our Akyurt Mayor prepared the work for this 1,100,000 m² area.” However, stating that due to a legal issue they could not turn the contact key and move forward, Mr. Özdebir said that they asked Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Ali Babacan, who is also a Member of Parliament from Ankara, for his assistance and that Minister Babacan said: “Hopefully we will solve the fair issue in Ankara during this legislative session.”
Mr. Özdebir stated that in order to increase the interest in the 2th Turkish Armed Forces Materials Expo next to this fair, they had brought together industrialists and the logistical materials required by the Armed Forces together to this Expo and that as a priority they had invited firms that produce to the defence industry potential main subcontractors and companies that have the capability to produce to these subcontractors.
Stating that next year at a fair area deserving of Ankara they would organize the second Ankara Industry Fair and the third Turkish Armed Forces Materials Expo with a larger participation, Mr. Özdebir went on to say: “Our means as the ASO and the 1st Organized Industry Zone were this much. The following year will be a brighter, a more open year for Ankara. I believe that from now on these Fairs will take place that is deserving of a capital that has the world’s 17th largest and Europe’s 6th largest economy.”
After the opening remarks, Mr. Babacan and other participants cut the Fair’s opening ribbon and viewed the Ankara Industry Fair and the 2nd Turkish Armed Forces Materials Expo.
During the two fairs that took place, Minister of State and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Cemil Çiçek, Minister of State responsible for Foreign Trade Mr. Zafer Çağlayan, AK Party Deputy Chairman Mr. Salih Kapusuz, AK Party Member of Parliament from Elazığ Mr. Necati Çetinkaya, Minister of Industry and Commerce Mr. Nihat Ergun and the former Minister of Industry and Commerce Mr. Ali Çoşkun attended the Fairs.
State Minister Mr. Zafer Çağlayan also visited the Fair and expo and obtained information from each company. From the approximately 170 firms that participated in the ANSAF 2010 Fair, a Purchase Delegation Program was organized with the participation of establishments and organizations and company representatives from Egypt, Iraq, Albania, Tunisia, Tajikistan and Montenegro under the coordination of the Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade.
Parallel to the Fair and expo many activities were also realized. The Offset and Sub-Industry Trade Applications Symposium took place on 2 October 2010 and was attended by ASO President Mr. Nurettin Özdebir, Deputy Undersecretary for Defence Industries Mr. Ismail Tohumcu and the delegation attached as well as a large number of industrialists. Deputy Undersecretary for Defence Industries Mr. Ismail Tohumcu provided information on “Offset and Sub-Industry Applications” to industrialists.
Speaking at the opening of the Symposium, ASO President Mr. Nurettin Özdebir indicated that the Undersecretariat for Defence included many well trained employees within the Turkish bureaucracy whose marketing skills were high, who can enter into contracts very well and among the best organizations that protected national interests, said: “All public sector purchases, in fact all private companies, must take the strategic approach of the defence industry as a basis and adopt it accordingly.”
The SSM Deputy Undersecretary Mr. Ismail Tohumcu said that they were conscious of the fact that in order to obtain these targets, aside from specialized main contractors a sub-industry and small and medium scale enterprises (KOBIs) that produces indigenous products, that is accepted not only in the domestic market but worldwide and that can enter the supply chain of international firms must be created.
In addition, the Head of the Industry Department of the SSM, Mrs. Nuran İnci, provided information on off-set and sub-industry applications and answered the questions of industrialists in attendance.
Later at a symposium organized by the National Nanotechnology Research Center Project (UNAM) of the Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology under the chairmanship of ASO Board member Mr. Yılmaz Kayaaslan, Associate Professor Dr. Mehmet Bayındır made a presentation on new opportunities for KOBIs in nanotechnology. In the second session of the symposium a presentation was made by Assistant Professor Dr. Aykutlu Dana on solar energy research at the UNAM. Subsequently, Assistant Professor Dr. Bülent Ortaç spoke on femtosecond laser applications in industry. Afterwards, Assistant Professor Dr. Tamer Uyar spoke on nano textiles. Lastly, Dr. Turgay Tekinay provided information on sustainable technologies and answered the questions of the attendees.
In the symposium coordinated by Prime Danışmanlık, Mrs. Banu Aktalay, Coordinator of R&D Incentives and Corporate Services, made a presentation on the topic of advanced materials technologies and related R&D support.
At a conference that took place at a later date, KOSGEB President Mr. Mustafa Kaplan spoke on the subject of “KOSGEB Support for the Defence Industry.” Subsequently, KOSGEB Deputy President Mr. Hüseyin Tüysüz provided information on “New KOSGEB Support” and answered the questions of participants.
During the last day of the program’s activities information was provided by TÜBİTAK officials on “R&D Support Programs in the Defence Industry,” “The Importance of National R&D in the Defence Industry” and “R&D Capabilities in the Defence Industry.”
During the second session, under the chairmanship of Prof. Dr. İhsan Sabuncuoğlu, Director of the University-Industry Cooperation Center at Bilkent University, a panel was organized on “University- Industry Cooperation Interfaces.” In the panel Mrs. Figen Bozkurt, FNSS Materials Chief, Mr. Mahmut Kiper, Chief Expert at the Technology Development Foundation of Turkey (TTGV) and Mr. Bülent Özkan Özönder, General Manager of the Telecommunication Mechanical Industry (TELMEK) made presentations.
