BBM Magazine 86 - March-Mart 2025

BBM • MARCH - MART 2025 43 are constantly changing. Angola, which used to hold the top position, has now been replaced by Djibouti. This situation may not last forever. However, if we manage our logistical ad- vantage correctly and take advantage of wheat production op- portunities in Russia and Ukraine, Türkiye’s leadership in flour exports can continue. Today, there are industrialists exporting special-purpose flour to the European Union. Some say, “No one can produce flour as high quality as we do for the EU.” However, the issue is not just quality. Pricing, logistics, and service are also part of the equation. For example, Russia produces wheat but can- not export as much as we do. We are family-run businesses working with low profit margins, and we hold a strong position in the global market with competitive prices. Other countries prefer not to be as competitive as we are, and this gives us an advantage. WE EXPECT FROM THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO INTERFERE IN OUR WORK We do not have any special requests from the government. Our only wish is that we are not interfered with in our work. We do not cause any harm to our country; we bring our raw materials ourselves, process them, and export them. Our only expectation is to be supported in market regulations and for nothing to hinder our path. This way, we can continue without interruption. We acknowledge that we do not produce value-added products, but basic foodstuffs like flour are strategic products. However, our sector also positively impacts other areas. For in- stance, our export of baked goods has been increasing every day. Thanks to the trust in Türkiye, other sectors can also enter markets along with us. For example, as a result of our successful efforts in Djibouti, the cement, ceramics, and iron sectors have also expanded into the region. Our exports in January are 30% behind the same period last year. We know that the TMO has a stock of 5 billion dollars, half of which has been consumed, but the remaining half is still sitting idle. Despite this, we believe that if the necessary steps are taken, we can regain our former success. If products are sourced at global prices and the Turkish Grain Board (TMO) moves in this direction, we will have no obstacles. However, if imports are blocked like last year and products in the domestic market are not offered at appropriate prices, the difficulties compounded by financing costs will push the sector into even more trouble. World markets are changing daily, and Russia, in particular, is taking se- rious steps in this area. We must closely follow these develop- ments and quickly take steps to protect our sector. By May 31st, we should not face the same uncertainties. The end of the war would be a huge advantage for us. Ukraine is an important raw material supplier for us. If the war ends, our depen- Bugün Avrupa Birliği’ne özel amaçlı un ihracatı yapan sa- nayicilerimiz var. Kimileri, “AB’ye bizim kadar kaliteli un ürete- mezsiniz” diyor. Ancak mesele sadece kalite değil. Fiyatlan- dırma, lojistik ve hizmet de bu denklemin bir parçası. Örneğin, Rusya buğday üretiyor ama bizim kadar ihracat yapamıyor. Biz, düşük kâr marjlarıyla çalışan aile işletmeleriyiz ve reka- betçi fiyatlarla dünya pazarında güçlü bir konumdayız. Diğer ülkeler, bizim kadar rekabetçi olmayı tercih etmiyor ve bu du- rum bize avantaj sağlıyor. DEVLETTEN BEKLENTİMİZ İŞİMİZE MÜDAHALE EDİLMEMESİ Hükümetten ya da devletten özel bir talebimiz yok. Tek iste- ğimiz, işimize müdahale edilmemesi. Biz devletimize herhangi bir zarar vermiyoruz; hammaddemizi kendimiz getiriyor, işliyor ve ihraç ediyoruz. Tek beklentimiz, piyasa regülasyonları ko- nusunda desteklenmek ve önümüzün kesilmemesi. Böylece yolumuza kesintisiz devam edebiliriz. Katma değerli ürün üretmediğimizi biz de kabul ediyoruz, ancak un gibi temel gıda maddeleri stratejik ürünlerdir. Bu- nunla birlikte, sektörümüz başka alanları da olumlu yönde etkiliyor. Örneğin, unlu mamul ihracatımız her geçen gün ar- tıyor. Türkiye’ye duyulan güven sayesinde bizimle birlikte di- ğer sektörler de pazarlara giriş yapabiliyor. Örneğin, Cibuti’de başarılı çalışmalarımız sonucunda çimento, seramik ve demir sektörleri de bölgeye açıldı. NEWS HABER