Hikmet Tanrıverdi, President of IHKIB: Hikmet Tanrıverdi, who likened İHKİB to the Pole Star of ready-to-wear clothing, emphasized that they started 2016 well as a sector and said, "While Turkey's overall exports decreased by 10 percent in the first quarter, ready-to-wear exports increased by 7 percent. I believe that we will reach 18 billion dollars again this year under the leadership of İHKİB."

With 17 billion dollars of exports, the successful companies of the ready-to-wear sector, which made a great contribution to the Turkish economy in 2015, received their awards from Hikmet Tanrıverdi, President of Istanbul Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporters' Association (İHKİB).

In his speech at the award ceremony, Hikmet Tanrıverdi said that as the ready-to-wear sector, they are the pride of the Turkish economy with a net foreign exchange inflow of 150 billion dollars in the last 10 years.

Ready-to-Wear Exports Increased by 7 Percent in the First Quarter

Stating that they closed 2015, which was a difficult year for the sector, with an export volume of 17 billion dollars, Tanrıverdi was hopeful for 2016. Tanrıverdi continued as follows:

"Despite geopolitical problems, the airplane crisis and the additional cost created by the minimum wage of 1300 TL, we started 2016 well. While Turkey's overall exports declined by 10 percent in the first quarter, our ready-to-wear exports increased by 7 percent. We exported 4 billion 255 million dollars in three months. I am proud to say that IHKIB has now become the Pole Star of our sector. Wherever we look around the world, we see the traces of the high added value created by our sector under the leadership of İHKİB. I believe that under the guidance of İHKİB, we will reach 18 billion dollars again this year."

40 Fairs to Show Turkey's Power to Buyers

Hikmet Tanrıverdi also gave information about İHKİB's projects in his speech and underlined that they aim to increase their sales and marketing power abroad by taking their place in the Turkish Trade Centers to be opened in New York, Tehran, Paris, Düsseldorf and London this year.

Explaining that they attach great importance to the promotion of the fashion industry in international markets, Tanrıverdi said: "In order to bring new markets to our sector and to increase our share in the existing markets, we have kept our finger on the pulse of the global markets from Urimchi to America like raiders. Under the leadership of İHKİB, we organized national participation in the world's most important ready-to-wear fairs, especially the Magic Show in Las Vegas and Pure London in London. We set ourselves the goal of tripling our share in the US market, where we have lost a lot of blood in recent years, to 1.5 billion dollars in three years. We led our members to meet with international buyers.

We will participate in almost all of the 40 ready-to-wear fairs organized abroad with info booths and introduce Turkey's production power to buyers. We have taken important steps in opening up our underwear and hosiery sectors abroad with Ur-Ge Projects. Likewise, we will realize Ur-Ge projects for denim and knitwear."

We Launched Digital Transformation, Accelerated Our Speed

Stating that they initiated digital transformation in order to communicate with members faster and more effectively and to ensure that they are aware of developments such as legislative changes, Tanrıverdi said, "We have rebuilt our website as www.ihkib.org.tr from scratch. With its new form, we have created a structure that embraces the entire sector. With the mobile application application of our site, we have paved the way for more of our members to reach us much faster, we have accelerated our speed."

At the ceremony, companies exporting over 50 million dollars were awarded with platinum, those exporting between 20-50 million dollars with gold, those exporting between 10-20 million dollars with silver, those exporting between 2.5-10 million dollars with bronze plaques, and companies exporting between 500 thousand - 2.5 million dollars with certificates of achievement.

47 companies were awarded platinum, 136 gold, 167 silver, 674 bronze plaques and 1025 success certificates.

Top 10 Stars of Apparel Exports

1. Akıntek Tekstil San. Domestic and Foreign Trade. Ltd. Company
2. LC Waikiki Mağazacılık Hiz. Tic. A.S.
3. USM Logistics Textile Food Construction Industry and Foreign Trade. Ltd. Company
4. Stylish Scissors Clothing San. And Tic. A.S.
5. Cross Textile San. And Tic. A.S.
6. ERPA Ready Wear Domestic and Foreign Trade. A.S.
7. Akıntek Textile Product San. and Foreign Trade. LTD. Company
8. Aster Textile Industry and Foreign Trade Inc.
9. Aster Global Marketing and Foreign Trade Inc.
10. Saide Tekstil San. ve Tic. A.S.