Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association (TGSD) announced the names to chair for the new period. Following Ramazan Kaya and Sanem Dikmen, who served as presidents for two consecutive terms between 2021-2025, Toygar Narbay and Dr. Ümit Özüren were elected as presidents at the 25th Ordinary General Assembly Meeting. While the structure of TGSD’s board of directors with two presidents was preserved, it is stated that this approach is a good example of the culture of creating a common mind and carrying out tasks together, considering the difficulties faced by the sector and the amount of work that needs to be done. It is also emphasised that this model can set an example for other areas by encouraging cooperation in the sector.
New board set its targets
The board of directors chaired by Narbay and Özüren gathered the targets of the new period under the roof of TGSD under four main headings. Accordingly, the association will focus on guiding the transformation of companies, strengthening the public image of the sector, explaining the problems and demands of the sector to the economic administration and bureaucracy in its simplest form and improving national-international sectoral relations. Thus, contribution will be made to the processes such as innovation, efficiency, sustainability, digitalisation, design, branding and diversification of market-sales channels of the sector, which aims to increase its share in world trade and regain its competitiveness.
Contribution will be provided to the generational transition processes of family businesses
Among the projects planned to be completed in the new period, the Horizon 2040 strategic plan, which will shape the long-term goals of the sector, stands out. The TGSD Development Academy, designed as an online information platform that will provide guidance on issues such as institutionalisation, sustainability and innovation within the sector, will also be launched this year. Proactive studies will also be carried out with Young TGSD in order to strengthen intergenerational communication in family businesses, which constitute almost all of the apparel industry, and to ensure that the transfer of duties takes place properly.
The share of Türkiye in the world apparel trade is 3.45 percent
In the statement made on behalf of the new Board of Directors of TGSD under the chairmanship of Toygar Narbay and Dr. Ümit Özüren, it was emphasised that the Turkish apparel industry has written an important success story by overcoming many economic, social and political crises on a global scale. “The volume of Turkish apparel exports, which was only 4 million dollars in 1970, has reached approximately 18 billion dollars today. Thanks to the know-how accumulated by the textile and apparel sectors in the intervening 55 years and the vertical integration created by their investments in all links of the chain, Türkiye has become the second fully integrated supply chain in the world after China. In addition to the production for exports, the total production size of the apparel sector reached 27 billion dollars with the production of 9 billion dollars for the domestic market. Moreover, this production contributed to the Turkish economy by preventing a significant amount of imports. In 2024, the foreign trade surplus created by the sector was 13.5 billion dollars. The total investment volume of our sector in the country in the last 15 years has exceeded 15 billion dollars,” were included in the statement.
In the statement, it was shared that the average unit export kilogram value of the sector, which is 15.3 dollars, is the highest per kilogram export value after jewellery and defence industry: “The apparel sector, which employs approximately 600 thousand people, has managed to keep its share of the world apparel trade above 3.45 percent despite going through the most challenging period of the last 40 years. When compared to the 1.08 per cent share of our country in world trade, the importance of our sector has once again emerged.”
In the 25th Period Board of Directors of TGSD, one third of the management was made up of women and one third was made up of members under the age of 40. The following names were included in the Board of Directors:
Toygar Narbay (Narkonteks Tekstil), Dr. Ümit Özüren (Murat Çorap), Vedat Yavuz (Gelişim Tekstil), Servet Karaalioğlu (Fatto Giyim), Fahrettin Akaydın (Barco Tekstil), Cevdet Karahasanoğlu (Pameks Giyim), Şafak Kıpık (Spring Near East Manufacturing), Hakan Tin (Reha Tekstil), İsmail Kutlu (GIZIA), Damla Şahin (Kardem Tekstil), Mehmet Metin Akyüz (MYN Triko), Koray Güvenir (SML Tekstil), Arzu Kaprol (Arzu Kaprol), Bora Öner (Penti), Serkan Eyüboğlu (Eyüboğlu Tekstil), Nadin Hacerestunç (SGS), Ayşegül Kaya (TYH Tekstil), Refika Ünlü (Ünlü Tekstil), Vittorio Zagaia (Galata Taşımacılık), Lütfi Bayrak (Elbe Tekstil), Hande Şansal (Aster), Nurettin Vedat Doğan (Le Faxx Jeans), Can Aras (Titbaş), Yasemin Sezer (Sezer Tekstil).