Incentive scheme to aid textile producers

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Negrin says there are 1,500 Turkish brands with an overseas presence.

In the month leading up to the 5th Istanbul Fashion Apparel Conference to be held on May 3-4, members of the board of directors of the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers Association (TGSD) are looking forward to the government’s new incentive scheme, which they believe will present many opportunities for the Turkish textile sector.

“We are eagerly awaiting the new incentive scheme, which will give us more breathing room,” said Sami Kariyo, one of the TGSD board members present at yesterday’s pre-conference press meeting. “With this scheme we will become competitive with China, whose textile labor costs are in the range of $300-$500. With the government’s incentives our labor costs in the organized free industrial zones (5th and 6th zones), will be around $450.”

1,500 Turkish brands abroad
There are currently 1,500 Turkish brands with an overseas presence, and the TGSD hopes to see this number increase to 10,000 within the next few years, Kariyo said. The two-day conference will host a number of important speakers in the textile and fashion world, including CEOs and fashion designers from international companies such as Moncler, Celio, Lee Cooper Global, Express, FG4, Francois Girboud, Woolmark, Nike, Euratex, and Cotton Council International. After the first day’s opening speeches, there will be a series of one-on-one meetings with 38 different purchasers.

“We foresee a purchasing turnover of approximately $2.1 billion from this conference,” said Şeref Fayat, another TGSD board member. He explained that the one-on-one meetings are also designed to support Turkish small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which might not otherwise have the capacity to market themselves.