Turkish firms still strong at Italian Ceramics Fair

BOLOGNA - Anatolia News Agency

Each year more and more Turkish firms are present at the Bologna Fair. Company photo

Turkish ceramic firms are making a strong showing at the renowned Bologna Cersaie Ceramic and Bath Fair, Zeynep Bodur Okyay, president of the Turkish Ceramics Federation, has said. Turkish ceramics companies have been coming to the Bologna fair for roughly seven to eight years to showcase Turkish culture. This year’s fair will close its doors on Sept. 29.

“Every year more Turkish ceramic firms are participating in this fair. We are trying to revive the image of traditional Turkish ceramics,” said Okyay, adding that Turkey is the world’s fourth-largest ceramics exporter, but has even larger ambitions.

“Our biggest problem is of course the fact that the international conjuncture is going through a rough patch and secondly the fact that our sector consumes a lot of energy. The fact that Turkey is dependent on external sources of natural gas is a critical handicap.