Turkey is keen on acquire international brands with strong marketing networks abroad, Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association (İHKİB) Chairman Hikmet Tanrıverdi announced recently. Tanrıverdi says the Ministry of Economy was already working on potential procurements. He stressed the importance of design in different sectors and said Turkey should focus on design in its growth policy. He pointed out design can add value to a product and added that consumers are always looking out for different products so it is important to catch up with their demands.

He says there are thousands of companies that produce but do not have any designing projects. Turkey should bring these companies and designers together to set up models they can collaborate. One cannot compete with the world by producing cheap goods so to outdo countries that have cheap labour they should outdo through their designs.

The İHKİB chairman added since Turkey has the know-how, it can acquire international brands that have strong marketing networks. He said the Ministry of Economy was working on international brand procurement while Eximbank provided long-term loans but suggested a relaxation in loan conditions. The İHKİB chairman said there were currently 703 research and development centres and 115 design centres in Turkey, which clearly emphasises the importance of design in the sector.

He also noted by 2023 the textile sector is targeting a total of $50 billion in exports, of which products worth $30 billion will be produced in Turkey, while the rest will be designed in Turkey and produced abroad.