Turkish textile and apparel sectors hosted the Dutch Circular Textile Delegation in Bursa at the end of March with a comprehensive programme. Organised by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Istanbul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Uludağ Textile Exporters’ Association (UTİB) and Uludağ Apparel and Clothing Exporters’ Association (UHKİB) in order to develop circular textile cooperation, Turkish textile and apparel manufacturers, meeting with 17 Dutch companies, held bilateral meetings and established new business contacts within the scope of the Circular Textile Economy Delegation visit. The delegation started the day at Koza Han and then visited Bursa Technology Coordination and R&D Centre (BUTEKOM), Bursa Model Factory and BTSO Energy Efficiency Centre, which are the best application centres in the sector in the fields of R&D, training, design and digital transformation.
UTİB Chairperson of the Board of Directors Pınar Taşdelen Engin stated that the visit of the Dutch delegation will provide mutual benefits and disclosed: “As UTIB, we play an important role in establishing communication and coordination of our members with institutions and organisations in the textile sector on a local basis and worldwide. We were pleased to host the Dutch Delegation in Bursa in this scope.” Saying: “Exporting to 195 countries, we can easily say that the Bursa textile sector offers important opportunities not only in terms of product range but also in terms of market,” Taşdelen Engin noted that as UTIB, they organise physical and virtual B2B meetings and trade delegations with participation from all over the world. Taşdelen Engin conveyed that the Netherlands is at the forefront of these plans and that they will create a comprehensive programme to visit them in the near future. She said: “We held bilateral meetings to increase the level of cooperation of our companies. In this context, I believe that we have laid the foundations of a stable trade bridge between the textile sectors in our countries.”
UHKIB Chairperson of the Board of Directors Nüvit Gündemir stated that they were happy to host the Dutch delegation in Bursa, one of the critical centres of the Turkish fashion industry and a crossroads on the historical Silk Road. Gündemir underlined that the region is an important actor in strategic collaborations with world brands and said: “This period when European brands review their procurement processes, gave us the chance to create opportunities out of the crisis. We were also able to benefit from the prominence of the ‘Made in Türkiye’ brand in search of a secure and robust supply chain during this period. I would like to state that we are determined to fulfil our duties to ensure that the momentum we have achieved continues to increase. As clothing exporters, we are aware of the added value of design and sustainability-based products in both environmental and financial terms. Encouraging young people and entrepreneurs in innovative solutions is our top priority. In this context, I hope that the visit of the Dutch delegation will make significant contributions to the economy of both the country and our companies.”
Paul Zwetsloot, Chief Economic Counsellor at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Ankara, made a speech of gratitude on behalf of the Dutch delegation, saying: “Turkish textile and apparel sector is an important ally for Dutch companies with its industrial experience, product diversity and flexible production capacity, structure supporting entrepreneurship, continuous investments in the sector and well-established logistics infrastructure. Türkiye is an important partner for circular and sustainable textiles in Europe, with strong relationships and consumer understanding with European businesses, combined with the advantage of geographical proximity, which is critical for circular material flows.” Zwetsloot, expressing that the Netherlands is looking for Turkish partners for circular textile solutions and investments in this context, disclosed:
“We have prepared a programme with our partners UTİB and UHKİB to provide useful information about business opportunities in Türkiye’s textile and ready-to-wear sector for our Dutch companies during the delegation visit. At the same time, the delegation visit will also give our companies the opportunity to come together with important local stakeholders and meet the leading companies in the sector. We hope that this delegation will play an important role in promoting the cooperation between the Netherlands and Türkiye and in highlighting innovations that are key to the future of the textile and apparel industry.”
