Tüm Kırtasiyeciler Derneği (TÜKİD) has put a new organisational plan aimed at boosting the stationery sector’s export potential on its agenda. The meeting, held on Thursday 24 July at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Istanbul, served as an important forum for consultation on the planning of this initiative, which has been shaped by suggestions from exporting members.
Taha Keresteci, Chairman of the TÜKİD Board of Directors, who delivered the opening address at the meeting, stated that they had acted swiftly in response to requests from exporters during previous discussions regarding the future of the Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair, and had begun preliminary preparations for a potential ‘buying mission’. TÜKİD General Secretary İrem Özkal then gave a presentation on the scope of the organisation, the mechanisms that could be implemented with state support, and target country strategies.
The New Path for Exports: Buying Missions and Trade Delegations
A three-stage export strategy was presented at the meeting:
An ‘buying mission’ to be held in Turkey in November 2026, ‘trade missions’ to be organised in specific target countries, and an integrated ‘buying mission’ model linked to the Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair, to be held at the Istanbul Exhibition Centre in April. The presentation detailed the scope, cost structure, selection of target countries and B2B matching systems for these state-supported initiatives.
Consultation, Evaluation and Collective Wisdom
Members who spoke at the meeting expressed differing views. Whilst some members favoured holding the event in November 2025, the vast majority proposed postponing it to 2026 to allow for more efficient and comprehensive preparation. Furthermore, comprehensive assessments were carried out on topics such as the choice of location between Istanbul and Antalya, the format of the purchasing delegation, customer profiles, participation costs and coordination between companies. Some of the key consensus points were as follows: • The event should be held in November 2026 following careful planning • The preparation process should be managed by the Export Committee • The Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair should be enhanced in terms of quality • Antalya’nın operasyonel avantajları ile İstanbul’un ticari cazibesi arasında denge kurulması • Alım heyetlerinde müşteri kalitesinin önceliklendirilmesi ve PR çalışmalarına ağırlık verilmesi Çoğulculuk Esas Alındı, Karar 2026’ya Bırakıldı Toplantının sonunda yapılan gayriresmî oylamada, ihracatçı üyelerin çoğunluğu organizasyonun 2026 yılının Kasım ayında gerçekleştirilmesi yönünde görüş bildirdi. TÜKİD Yönetim Kurulu, çoğulculuk ilkesine bağlılıkla bu karara saygı göstereceklerini, 2026 yılında güçlü bir organizasyon için gerekli çalışmaları ihracat komitesi ile birlikte yürüteceklerini açıkladı. Başkan Taha Keresteci, “Sizlerden aldığımız güçle çalışmaya hazırız. Bu toplantı sadece bir fikir alışverişi değil, aynı zamanda ihracat yolculuğumuzda yeni bir başlangıçtır,” diyerek sözlerini tamamladı.