İHKİB and İTHİB, which have never withheld their support from every event and initiative that OTİAD has been involved in until today, promised full support for Fashionist 2013, which will take place on December 5-7. Hikmet Tanrıverdi, President of İTKİB and İsmail Gülle, President of İTHİB said, "The fair in which OTİAD participates will be a special and successful fair. We stand by OTİAD financially and morally."

OTİAD President Ali Ulvi Orhan and members of the Board of Directors visited Hikmet Tanrıverdi, President of Istanbul Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters' Association (İHKİB) and İsmail Gülle, President of Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters' Association (İTHİB) separately in their offices on May 9th. OTİAD discussed the problems of the sector with the members of the Board of Directors of both unions and exchanged ideas on solutions. Union Presidents Tanrıverdi, Gülle and OTİAD President Orhan emphasized that they will be in close cooperation in the coming period as always. Presidents Tanrıverdi and Gülle expressed that they were very pleased with the visit and that it was very important for them to share their problems and suggestions. Stating that they need solidarity more than ever in the critical transition period the sector is going through, Mr. Tanrıverdi and Mr. Gülle thanked President Orhan and the Board of Directors for the visit.

President Orhan Fashionist is Turkey's fair

President Ali Ulvi Orhan, who asked for support for FASHİONİST 2013-Fashion Istanbul Evening Dresses, Wedding Dresses and Wedding Suits Fair to be held in Istanbul Congress Center on December 5-7, 2013 with the cooperation of OTİAD-Patika Fuarcılık, said that the fair will be the fair of Turkey, not of Osmanbey. During the separate visits to İHKİB and İTHİB, Orhan expressed his gratitude for the fact that both associations have always stood by OTİAD and have never withheld their support, and explained the 'reason for their visits' and said the following: "We trust and believe in this project. We are here today to support a fair that is almost completely sold out. This fair is Turkey's fair and it is worth mentioning this. That's why we don't call it OTİAD's or Osmanbey's fair. There is also a reason for this. Our aim is to turn it into a fair that includes other segments after three to five years. We want to turn the fair into a Turkish ready-to-wear fair. Hopefully, we will realize this with the support and opportunities from you. Therefore, this fair is not the fair of Osmanbey, but of Istanbul and Turkey. We know that İHKİB and İTHİB, which have always stood by OTİAD, will be with us in this important event, and we thank you very much for this."

President Tanrıverdi We care about OTİAD's efforts
The OTIAD delegation was warmly welcomed by the Board of Directors of İHKİB under the chairmanship of Hikmet Tanrıverdi and the relations between İHKİB and OTIAD were briefly evaluated. During the meeting, it was emphasized that İHKİB has always stood by OTİAD both financially and morally in sectoral and regional terms, and it was reminded that İHKİB has always displayed a positive attitude regarding the support for the 2013 Fashionist Fair. At the meeting where it was decided that the General Secretariat of both institutions should carry out a study for the determination and implementation of direct and indirect possible supports and that possible supports and incentives should be put into effect after they are brought to the Boards of Directors, President Tanrıverdi said, "We have always considered OTİAD as our own association. Hopefully, this will continue from now on. We have received strength from you until today. For a period of time, our opportunities here were limited and we could not provide much support. At the point we have reached, it is evident that we have done important work. When we said that Istanbul would become the center of the fashion world, we knew that we would do what was necessary. There are such goals that efforts alone may not be enough. It is possible for Istanbul to become the center of attraction of fashion and ready-to-wear clothing with the efforts of the sector. OTİAD is one of the non-governmental organizations that show this effort the most. At the point we have reached today, if our Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says 'Istanbul will be the Fashion Center', this shows that our efforts have not been in vain. However, all of us will make efforts in line with the goals we set before us within the framework of this vision. You are the people who make this effort, you employ thousands of people in harmony. You are realizing important projects and making efforts for the future of the sector. In coordination, solidarity and sharing, we will of course be with you as you move towards common goals."

President Gülle We always stand by successful works

President Gülle started his speech by promising full support to the OTİAD delegation and said, "We believe that OTİAD will organize a successful fair. There is a gap in this field, we find OTİAD's initiative valuable to fill this gap. Whatever we can do, we will be with OTİAD financially and morally until the end. We want the businesses we are involved in to be good, so you can benefit from the experience of our board members Tamer Pala and Vehbi Canpolat, who are also on the Board of Directors of OTİAD. Because these friends of ours are friends who are constantly involved in these businesses. Until today, there have been many unsuccessful fair initiatives, we have not been involved in them; we will continue to stand by the successful ones. We believe that your Fashionist Fair will also be successful in this context, so we will be with you and support you."
Emphasizing that ordinary projects will not benefit anyone, President Gülle also gave the good news that they are about to finish the preparations for an international textile fair in the coming period and announced that this fair will be a fair of the quality of Premiere Vision. Reminding that the works should have a specialty, Gülle said, "The era of ordinary works is over. OTİAD is an association with experience. Osmanbey companies have achieved a certain vision and have reached a level that can compete with the world. For this reason, I believe that you will organize a fair with special features and depth."