Mustafa Bozbey, the Mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, was the guest of BTSO.

BTSO Board Chairman Ibrahim Burkay emphasized that they do not have expectations for prioritizing industry, trade, tourism, and agriculture in Bursa, which is the production and export center of the Turkish economy, stating, “Our primary expectation is the establishment of a more planned and qualified industrial settlement and a developed infrastructure in Bursa. In this context, we see the relocation of 8,000 production facilities from unplanned industrial areas that are cramped within the city as critical for the Bursa economy and our future.”

Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) hosted Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey. In the consultation meeting attended by BTSO Board Chairman Ibrahim Burkay, Assembly Chairman Ali Uğur, Board, Assembly, and Committee Members, the development and future vision of the Bursa economy were evaluated. During the nearly four-hour meeting, the ongoing preparations for the new 1/100,000 scale environmental regulation plan by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality were also discussed. In his opening speech, BTSO Board Chairman Ibrahim Burkay stated that Bursa is one of the leading cities contributing to Turkey’s development in every area from production to trade and from industry to exports. “The foundation of this success lies in our deep-rooted industry and trade culture and our entrepreneurial profile,” said Chairman Burkay, noting that the changing urbanization dynamics over the years have started to hinder this potential. He stated that the intermingling of production, trade, and living spaces with increasing urbanization has moved the city’s structuring away from being sustainable, adding, “We see our meeting today as an important step to implement a smart urbanism approach that will meet the current needs of our Bursa and adapt to tomorrow’s conditions. In this respect, I would like to thank our Mayor Mr. Mustafa Bozbey for attending the meeting and visiting our Chamber.”

Bursa is stagnating in exports.

Recalling that Bursa was the city where Turkey’s first organized industrial zone was established in the 1960s, Chairman Burkay emphasized that the city initiated a significant leap in industrialization. He stated that with the industrialization drive, Bursa today has more than 7,000 exporters, an export value of $3.69 per kilogram, and a foreign trade surplus of $7 billion, making it Turkey’s production power and door to the world. Burkay continued his speech: “The successes achieved so far are very valuable. However, the important thing is to carry these successes into the future. We must read the world well and set strategic and roadmap directions for the future of our Bursa. As you know, in recent years, competition has shifted from countries to cities and regions. Today, we compare not England and France, but London and Paris economically. While the cities we compete with show significant increases in new investment areas and export performances, unfortunately, we in Bursa continue to stagnate. While the export increases of the cities in the top 10 of Turkey’s exports have approached 50% in the last five years, Bursa’s export increase has remained at a limited level of 8%. To make Bursa an exemplary city on a global scale, we must resolutely take innovative steps and continue to implement projects that will shape the future. If we cannot improve the existing conditions, it seems difficult for us to be among the top 10 in exports in the next 10 years.”

There are 8,000 industrial facilities in unplanned areas.

Stating that 50% of the industrial areas in Bursa are unplanned, Ibrahim Burkay noted that according to research conducted by BEBKA, more than 8,000 SMEs are trying to maintain their production in unplanned areas within the city. Highlighting that the growth performances of SMEs are seen as a driving force in economic development when looking at the developed economies of the world, Burkay said, “Because SMEs have geometric growth potential. When the infrastructure and investment opportunities for SMEs are improved, their production, sales, export volumes, and profitability levels increase 2-3 times. In this regard, we see all investments to be made for SMEs as essential for the future of our city and country. We need to preserve and develop Bursa’s production power. Not only production but also we must reshape our city with qualified living and trading areas. We should not forget that Bursa is a city with a high earthquake risk; we must transition to a much more resilient, safe, and planned urbanization model, considering this risk. As the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we are ready to take on every responsibility to overcome all these issues facing our Bursa and to leave a strong city for the future.”

BTSO has transformative power.

Emphasizing that Bursa needs courage and determination, Chairman Burkay stated, “As BTSO, we are ready to contribute to all the efforts of our Metropolitan Municipality. We are a community of entrepreneurs who love our city and homeland, representing the city economy. We have 70 professional committees working with a sense of Burgas-ness, covering various sectors from industry to tourism, from trade to health. We believe that we need to ensure development alongside growth. We have an entrepreneurial profile ready to take responsibility in every area, including the economy, environment, education, social, and cultural aspects. With our 155 assembly members and 57,000 members, we are ready to contribute in every way. We know that BTSO is an important center with transformative power not only for our city but also for Turkey. Therefore, our motto is ‘If Bursa grows, Turkey grows.’ We work with this understanding. We will also support the new environmental regulation plan, which will be the new constitution of our city, by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. We hope that this plan will help both our entrepreneurs and everyone living in this city to see their futures more clearly and use their resources efficiently.”

Bursa is a very valuable city.

Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey stated that they came together with the Bursa business community to evaluate the main issues of Bursa and the steps to be taken for the future of the city. Before the meeting, Bozbey mentioned that they received valuable information about the Bursa economy from BTSO Board Chairman Ibrahim Burkay, stating, “We witnessed that Bursa is heading towards a dire situation in terms of industry and trade. Bursa is the fourth largest city in our country by population. Geographically, it is located between Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir. When we compare it with the cities we compete against in the world, Bursa needs to be a center in terms of both transportation networks and industry and trade. Bursa is a very valuable city in every aspect.”

We are city managers, not politicians.

Stating that the industrialization drive that started in Bursa in the 1960s has advanced the city’s economy, Bozbey expressed that the negative effects of intense and unplanned migration along with unplanned construction and industrial formation in recent years have impacted the city adversely. He emphasized that all dynamics of Bursa should come together to evaluate the city’s position and express their demands clearly, stating, “We are not politicians; we are city managers. We use the authority we have received from you with a management approach based on participation. We care deeply about the future of Bursa. In this sense, we have an environmental regulation plan work underway. While doing this, we must integrate a perspective that prioritizes the environment while considering the interests of all sectors, industry, agriculture, tourism, and trade, without one overshadowing the other. We believe we need to cooperate to build a livable and sustainable Bursa for the future.”

62% of the city consists of illegal and non-durable buildings.

Emphasizing that one of the most important problems of Bursa is earthquakes, Bozbey stated, “Unfortunately, 62% of our city consists of illegal and non-durable buildings. Additionally, many structures are located on ground areas with liquefaction risks. Factories are also found in these areas. Our goal is to come together as city dynamics to build a stronger and more resilient city. Our responsibility here is great. We must take urban planning into consideration, keeping all these in mind. In a world where cities are competing, we must collectively put forth the best when creating the city constitution. We are aware of the demands to relocate unregulated industrial areas to organized zones. The plan we will create, which we call the city constitution, will shape our next 100 years. Therefore, it needs to be in a structure that will protect the city ecosystem and adopt a sustainable understanding.”

Thanking the entrepreneurs who contribute to Bursa and the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry for their work, Bozbey emphasized his belief that the city can achieve greater goals. During the meeting, Bozbey also gave a presentation titled “New Planning Vision for Bursa” and answered questions from representatives of the business community.

The future vision of Bursa should be structured with collective intelligence.

BTSO Assembly Chairman Ali Uğur stated that Bursa, which is the center of production and exports in Turkey, has an annual total foreign trade volume of 28 billion dollars. Noting that Bursa is among the cities in Turkey that have succeeded in integrating with the world, Uğur said, “Our city provides access to markets created by 1.5 billion people within a 3-hour flight distance. Restructuring the development and future vision of Bursa with a global perspective and a collective intelligence approach is among our priorities. In this context, we find the new environmental regulation plan efforts carried out by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality very valuable. We hope that our recommendations regarding the restructuring of industrial and commercial areas and the resolution of our problems will be taken into account in this plan. As a city, it is impossible to look to the future without a future vision. With these thoughts, I hope our meeting opens the door to desired results based on mutual goodwill, collective intelligence, and cooperation.”

At the end of the meeting, BTSO Board Chairman Ibrahim Burkay, Assembly Chairman Ali Uğur, and Vice Chairman of the Board Ismail Kus presented a sapling certificate to Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Bozbey.