In addition to the written rules that were subject to supervision, there were some unwritten values accepted among the tradesmen and merchants in order for the trade life of old Istanbul to have a certain morality and order. I believe that these unwritten values are still alive in our genes, even though today's understanding of trade based on competition has largely forgotten them.

 Undoubtedly, our elders who first started trading in Osmanbey also came from this tradition, and when the day came, when they handed over the flag to the second generation, they passed on not only their companies and the knowledge they had acquired, but also these values embedded in their genes to the new generation. I am not talking about the design and production capabilities, quality standards or marketing techniques that their companies have acquired. These are already core values. I'm talking about the commercial culture of the tradesmen or traders in a trade area, which is a whole consisting of the sum of many topics such as business ethics, competition approach, neighborly relations, communication with customers, clothing and behavior of the staff, working hours, general tendencies. In other words, a set of unwritten rules and behaviors that people who trade in the same region agree upon. They may differ according to each country or region, or even each sector, but they all have one thing in common: Benefit! Trade traditions, habits, adopted methods and behaviors, and unwritten rules that have been passed down from the past to the present are widely accepted and passed on to the next generation because they create common benefits for all. The person who will enter that trade zone for the first time usually acts in line with these tendencies. In our country, an entrepreneur usually has some idea of how things work in the region where he or she is going to do business. He learns the subtleties when he gets into the business and after a while he adopts those values himself. That is when they really become a part of the place. Belonging is an important feeling in business districts. If you say "We are from Osmanbey", it means that you accept the forty years of trade tradition in the region. Those who deviate from this tradition will inevitably stand out and will be considered strange.

 As Osmanbey, we have been experiencing something similar to this recently.

 As you know, our colleagues are among the Syrians who fled the war in their country and sought refuge in Turkey. Some of them chose Istanbul for a new life and Osmanbey to start a new business. Foreign companies had come to Osmanbey before, but the situation is a bit different now. It should not be forgotten that the previous ones knew the established trade rules in Osmanbey, and maybe even chose this place just for that reason. When they came to our region, they quickly merged by observing the Osmanbey companies in the region and acting in accordance with their tendencies. Syrians, on the other hand, fled the war and came here out of necessity. Aside from the traumatic effects of the war they came from, a few companies started to operate in close proximity to each other in a trade area they had no idea about. These companies, which were already in contact with each other rather than with local shopkeepers due to language barriers, tended to act on the basis of their fellow countrymen rather than the established companies of Osmanbey. Therefore, in Osmanbey, especially in Şair Nigar, where Syrians are concentrated, an approach that goes beyond the commercial tendencies of the shopkeepers of the region has suddenly started to attract attention.

 Going back to the beginning; yes, Osmanbey has a tradition of trade. Violating the rules generally accepted by the people of Osmanbey would harm the image, order and peace of the region; but there is something more damaging than that! That is, instead of discussing this issue with each other, it is made manipulative by talking about it with comments, judgments and hearsay. If we represent a forty-year tradition, I believe that it is part of this tradition to approach Syrian companies without prejudice and to express ourselves and the commercial understanding in our region more accurately. As the Board of Directors of OTİAD, we have discussed the issue both among ourselves and in meetings with the doyens of our sector and determined how we should act from now on. In this sense, we planned to organize a meeting for Syrian company representatives; in the same way, Osmanbey Moda magazine prepared a file on the issue and clarified some of the points voiced on the street.

 If this process is managed correctly, I believe that the real winner in the end will be Osmanbey, which has always had a pioneering and innovative identity.