Cevdet Yılmaz: What we need to do is support generative AI

In his speech at the opening reception of the Izmir International Fair (IEF), Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz stated that artificial intelligence should be analyzed very well and that it is necessary to prepare for this process as a society, and said, “The prominent concept is productive artificial intelligence. What we need to do is support productive artificial intelligence.”

Hosted by İZFAŞ and organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce and hosted by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, İEF opened its doors for the 93rd time this year with the theme of ‘technology’ and the slogan of ‘We Are Going Beyond Time’. The fair, which will host visitors between August 30 and September 9, held an opening reception at the Atatürk Open Air Theater in Kültürpark. Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Deputy Minister of Commerce Özgür Volkan Ağar, AK Party Deputy Chairmen Hamza Dağ and Eyüp Kadir İnan, Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairmen Murat Bakan and Deniz Yücel, İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, deputies, district mayors, political party representatives, chamber and union chairmen, city protocol, and citizens attended the reception. The robot ‘Sofia’ also attended the reception.

‘TECHNOLOGY IS VERY VALUABLE IN TERMS OF INDEPENDENCE’

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, who began his speech at the ceremony by conveying President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s greetings to all the people of İzmir and his wishes of success to the fair participants, said, “I find it extremely meaningful that the İzmir Fair, which is a legacy from Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, has coincided with the Victory Week, when we respectfully commemorate Gazi Mustafa Kemal and his comrades-in-arms. Following the victories achieved in Dumlupınar and Sakarya, Atatürk’s command to our heroic army to save İzmir, ‘Armies, your first target is the Mediterranean, forward’, is engraved in our national memory. Thus, İzmir, which became the city of foundation and liberation, later became the door opening to development with the Economic Congress and İzmir Fair; and the rising voice for economic independence.” Yilmaz said, “I define independence in two ways. One is legal independence, and the other is real independence. The second type of independence is related to power. If your economy, technological infrastructure, human resources are qualified, if you have a productive structure as a country, then you are truly independent. This is our quest for development. To make our country truly independent. Technology is very valuable in terms of independence. Industrial production is now being done in many parts of the world. The important thing is to produce technology, convert it into commercial value and market it to the world. When you manage to do this, you can continue on your path completely independently.”

‘WE CONTINUE TO INCREASE EXPORTS DURING DIFFICULTIES’

“While hosting one of the world’s most established trade fairs, I find it useful to remind you of the distance our country has covered in terms of investment, production, employment and export,” said Yılmaz, adding: “We are a 100-year-old Republic. Our economic size exceeded 1.1 trillion dollars last year. We are the 17th largest economy in the world. Our per capita national income was 13,110 dollars last year. We expect these figures to reach their highest levels in dollar terms this year. The world is going through a very good period in foreign markets. The EU, which is Turkey’s main export market, is going through a negative period. There are geopolitical risks in our region. We continue to increase exports despite the difficulties. As of July, we increased our exports to approximately 261.5 billion dollars, and we will see even higher figures by the end of the year. There is a process of decrease in imports. There is a serious improvement in our current balance with increasing exports and decreasing imports. The current account deficit is one of the most critical elements in our development process. Last year, at this time, we had a current account deficit of around 6 percent, and today, our current account deficit is 20 percent.” “It has fallen below 2. This reduces the need for foreign currency.”

‘WE ARE IN A PERIOD WHERE RISKS ARE DECREASING AND STABILITY IS INCREASING’

Noting that there was a serious increase in the Central Bank reserves and a decline in currency-protected deposits, Yilmaz said, “We are in a period where we are healing the wounds of the biggest earthquake disaster in our history. We will carry our provinces to a better point than before in the best way possible. In the last 2 years, we allocated 2 trillion TL for earthquake expenditure from the central government budget. Despite this, we are trying to keep our budget deficit at a certain level. Last year, in the medium-term program, we said ‘6.4’ for the end of 2023, the ratio of the budget deficit to national income, which we realized was 5.3. We did not announce the medium-term program this year, but our deficit this year will be below 5 percent. We are in a period where the current deficit and budget deficit are decreasing, risks are decreasing, and stability is increasing. Our credit ratings are increasing, access to external finance is becoming easier, and the cost of borrowing in foreign currency is decreasing.”

‘THE MAIN PURPOSE OF OVP IS TO PROVIDE PRICE STABILITY’

Emphasizing that inflation is the biggest problem, Yilmaz said, “Our main priority is to reduce inflation. We said, ‘In the Medium Term Program, the first year will be a transition period, the second year will be disinflation, and the third year will be a permanent price stability period.’ We never talked about the short term, we shared a reasonable medium-term program with our people. We completed the first period, reduced the current and budget deficits. The disinflation process started in June, we expect a rate close to 50 percent in August. We will see inflation below 50 percent in September. We expect results within the band set by the Central Bank at the end of the year. The main purpose of the OVP is to ensure price stability, to bring our country back to single-digit figures as of 2026, to implement inclusive growth in a stable environment and to provide permanent social welfare in an environment where we ensure permanent price stability.”

‘WE SELL PRODUCTS THAT WE CANNOT BUY WITH OUR MONEY TO OTHER COUNTRIES’

“While we are implementing our economic program with determination, we are taking steps to improve our investment environment,” said Yilmaz, continuing as follows: “Technology is very strong in this sense. The successes Turkey has achieved in the defense industry in the last 20 years are a good model for us. 20 years ago, we were 80 percent dependent on foreign countries in the defense industry, today we meet 80 percent of our needs with our own means. Last year, we realized 5.5 billion dollars of defense product exports. We expect it to approach 7 billion dollars this year. In the past, products were not sold to us even though we paid for them, we sell products we could not buy with our money to other countries.”

‘WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS SUPPORT PRODUCTIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’

Stating that they have put the investment commitment advance loan into effect, Yılmaz said, “We are providing 10-year term low-interest loans for investments of at least 1 billion liras with high technology levels and investments that will reduce our country’s current deficit. I also find the HIT-30 Program very important. This package includes topics such as artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, mobility, advanced manufacturing, communication and space, health technologies, digital technologies and green energy. Artificial intelligence will deeply affect our lives in every field. In 3-5 years, we will see that some professions that are on the agenda today are disappearing, some professions are transforming, and new professions are emerging. We need to analyze artificial intelligence very well and prepare for this process as a society. We should not forget natural intelligence, and the natural intelligence that produces artificial intelligence. The concept that stands out here is productive artificial intelligence. What we need to do is support productive artificial intelligence. We should evaluate its pros and cons. On the one hand, we know the cons of artificial intelligence, such as fake videos. We should use these technologies positively.”

‘WE HAVE TO ACHIEVE GREEN AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION’

Yilmaz said, “From artificial intelligence to cybersecurity, from the agile transformation of industry to e-government applications, our goal in every field is to be a producer of technology, not a user. We will continue to support technological entrepreneurship at every level. We have placed green and digital transformation at the center of our 12th Development Plan. We have to achieve green and digital transformation by putting the low-carbon economy target before us and keeping our perspective of reducing external dependency in energy on the agenda. We aim to increase the share of medium and high-tech products in our exports, which reached 40.4 percent in 2023, to levels close to 50 percent by the end of the plan period. Turkey is a country in the upper middle-income league. It was in the lower middle-income league 20 years ago. Our goal is to transition to the league of high-income countries. We will achieve this by building a high value-added economy with technological investments.”

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz continued his words as follows: “I would like to express that we trust and believe in young people. As long as we support our youth in these areas, the future is bright for both Turkey and them. Large companies should allocate more resources to R&D, support young people who are engaged in technological entrepreneurship, and focus on innovative production and export. If they do this, both they and our country and our youth will benefit more.”

‘THE SUPPORT PROVIDED TO OUR EXPORTERS FROM IZMIR EXCEEDED 560 MILLION LIRA IN AUGUST’

Stating that İzmir ranks second with a share of nearly 7 percent in our country’s exports with its developed industrial infrastructure and dynamic workforce, Yılmaz said, “We are a city with higher exports than imports. We support this success of İzmir business people by using all the means at our disposal, and we will continue to do so. The amount of support provided to İzmir exporters by our Ministry of Trade exceeded approximately 560 million liras in August 2024. In addition; we aim to increase the city’s export and production capacity by opening new zones in addition to the existing free zones. With the Western Anatolia Free Zone (BASBAŞ), which we opened last March, reaching full capacity, approximately 20 thousand employment contributions will be provided to the region. I have previously visited İzmir privately and met with our business world and held consultations. We shape and implement our programs with common sense. We will continue to grow and develop Turkey with the consensus of our private sector.”

‘WE AIM TO INCREASE THE SHARE OF TECHNOLOGICAL PRODUCTS IN EXPORTS TO 49.5 PERCENT IN 2028’

Deputy Minister of Trade Özgür Volkan Ağar said, “As the Ministry of Trade, we are rapidly continuing our work to ensure that there is not a single area in the world where Turkish products are not known and our exporters have not taken a step. In this direction, we have implemented the Far Countries Strategy and the strategy of developing exports with Islamic countries in order to develop our market diversity. In addition, within the scope of our 2028 export promotion and marketing vision, which we have put into practice in order to introduce Turkish export countries to the world in the most effective way, we are rapidly continuing various promotion and marketing projects in sectors and product groups. We continue to take the necessary measures for the green and digital transformation that has now touched every area of ​​our lives.” Ağar said, “One of the basic frameworks of the Medium-Term Program and the 12th Development Plan, which are the roadmap of our economic management, is technological and innovative transformation. In this context, we aim to increase the share of medium-high and high-tech products in exports, which reached 40.4 percent in 2023, to 49.5 percent in 2028. Again, as the Ministry of Trade, we focus on R&D and Innovation, and in order to increase our exporters, we develop and strengthen our supports such as design, branding, turquality, international competitiveness development project, global supply chain project, as well as our supports for the digitalization of exports, especially e-export.”

‘WE DON’T WANT TO BE OUT OF THE GAME’

Stating that they attach great importance to Izmir as exporters, the Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), Ahmet Fikret Kileci, said, “Turkish exporters have achieved very serious successes. They have used the connector correctly until today, and Turkish exporters and manufacturers need small supports in the future.” Kileci said, “The meaning of the fair was different 101 years ago, but it is much different today. We have come to a point where artificial intelligence, the digital world and all kinds of information are analyzed much more easily and correctly and shed light on our work to do. In this fair, all kinds of innovations will come before us in a single stage. Instead of opposing technology, we need to learn to act together. If we oppose technology, change and transformation, we will be left out of the game. We do not want to be left out of the game, we want to be in the middle of the game, and even to be the organizers.”

‘IEF PROVIDES VERY SERIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNATIONAL FAIR ORGANIZATION IN OUR COUNTRY’

Stating that the fair has developed into a fair that has become synonymous with both Izmir and all of Turkey, Izmir Governor Süleyman Elban said, “The fair makes serious contributions to the development of fairs in Turkey and to the rooting of international fairs in our country.”

‘THERE ARE VERY FEW PEOPLE OF A CERTAIN AGE WHO HAVE NOT ATTENDED THE IZMIR FAIR’

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay, who said that Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu both came to the fair when they were children, said, “There are very few people of a certain age who have not come to the Izmir fair.” Tugay said, “The IEF may have taken on a different identity in the old days, but it continues to be the entertainment center of Izmir and the surrounding provinces in the provinces where it is held. It is very important, and we have important duties to protect it.”

‘THE TECHNOLOGY THEME OF THE FAIR IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PATH OUR COUNTRY WILL TAKE IN WORLD TRADE’

TOBB Board Member and Aegean Regional Chamber of Industry Board Chairman Ender Yorgancılar said, “IEF is one of the most established international trade platforms not only in our country but also in the world. It is an important step in our fair history that we should be proud of with our culture and future. The main theme of the fair, ‘technology’, continues to shape the future and transform trade in every field. Focusing on the theme of technology and ensuring that production and trade adapt to the changes and transformations in technology is important for the path our country will take in world trade.”

‘IT IS INSPIRING THAT THE FAIR HAS CREATED ITS OWN TRADITION’

Stating that IEF is an organization identified with Izmir, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said, “It has hosted people from all over the world for years and has become the center that announces Turkey’s vision and development to the whole world. Creating its own tradition is inspiring. It is very important for us that Istanbul is the guest of honor this year. It is important to share the good practices that cities develop within themselves with other cities. It is very important to protect the deep-rooted heritage of pioneering cities such as Istanbul and Izmir in the development of our country.” Emphasizing that Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara are the locomotives of Turkey, İmamoğlu said, “We act with the awareness that our duty is to provide superior benefit to Turkey.”