BTSO Chairman İbrahim Burkay emphasized that there is no expectation for Bursa, Turkey's center of production and exports, to choose between industry, trade, tourism, and agriculture. He stated, "Our main expectation is the establishment of more planned and qualified industrial zones and the development of advanced infrastructure in Bursa. In this regard, we view the relocation of 8,000 production facilities currently confined to unplanned industrial areas within the city to outside the city as a matter of critical importance for Bursa's economy and our future."
The Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO) hosted Bursa Mayor Mustafa Bozbey. At a consultation meeting attended by BTSO Chairman İbrahim Burkay, Assembly President Ali Uğur, Board Members, Assembly Members, and Committee Members, discussions focused on Bursa's economic development and future vision. The meeting, which lasted approximately four hours, also addressed the ongoing work on the new 1/100,000-scale environmental planning project led by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. In his opening remarks, BTSO Chairman İbrahim Burkay emphasized that Bursa is one of Turkey's leading cities in development, contributing value in areas ranging from production and trade to industry and exports. Chairman Burkay stated, "The foundation of this success lies in our deep-rooted industrial and commercial culture, as well as our entrepreneurial spirit." He noted, however, that the changing dynamics of urbanization over the years have started to hinder this potential. Pointing out that the overlapping of production, trade, and residential areas due to increasing urbanization has made the city’s structure unsustainable, Burkay remarked, "Today's meeting represents a significant step towards implementing a smart urban planning approach that will address Bursa’s current needs and adapt to future conditions. In this regard, I extend my gratitude to Mayor Mustafa Bozbey for his participation and his visit to our Chamber."
Bursa Stagnates 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 marked the beginning of a significant leap in industrialization. He stated that with its industrialization drive, Bursa has become Turkey's production power and gateway to the world, with over 7,000 exporters, an export value of $3.69 per kilogram, and a $7 billion trade surplus. He continued: “The successes we have achieved so far are invaluable, but the important thing is to carry these successes into the future. By reading the world well, we need to set strategies and roadmaps that will guide the future of our city. As you know, in recent years, competition has shifted from countries to cities and regions. Today, we economically compare not England with France, but London with Paris. While the cities we compete with are showing significant increases in new investment areas and export performance, unfortunately, we are standing still in Bursa. Over the past five years, export growth in the cities ranked in the top 10 of Turkey’s exports has approached 50%, while Bursa's export growth has remained limited to 8%. To make Bursa a world-class example, we must take innovative steps and resolutely continue with future-oriented projects. If we do not improve the current conditions, it seems difficult for us to be among the top 10 in exports over the next 10 years.”
There Are 8,000 Industrial Facilities in Unplanned Areas
İbrahim Burkay, noting that 50% of industrial areas in Bursa are unplanned, stated that, according to a study conducted by BEBKA, over 8,000 SMEs in the city's unplanned areas are striving to continue their production activities. He pointed out that when examining the world's developed economies, it becomes clear that the growth performance of SMEs is a driving force in economic development. “This is 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,” said Burkay. He emphasized that investments for SMEs are vital for the future of both our city and our country. “We need to preserve and enhance Bursa’s production power. Not only production, but also we must reshape our city with qualified living and commercial areas. We must not forget that Bursa is a city with a high earthquake risk, and we need to transition to a much more resilient, secure, and planned urbanization model, considering this risk.” Burkay concluded by stating, “As the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we are ready to take on all the responsibilities necessary to overcome these challenges and 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 the Metropolitan Municipality. We are a community of entrepreneurs who represent the city's economy and love their city and country. With a sense of Bursa identity, we operate across 70 professional committees in various sectors, from industry and tourism to trade and healthcare. We believe that, alongside development, we must also ensure progress. We have an entrepreneurial profile that is ready to take responsibility in every field, including the economy, environment, education, and social and cultural areas. With 155 council members and 57,000 members, we are ready to contribute in every way. We know that BTSO is not only a transformative center for our city but also for Turkey. This is why our motto is ‘If Bursa grows, Turkey grows.’ We work with this understanding. We will also support the new 1/100,000 environmental planning project, which will be the new constitution of our city, prepared by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. We hope this plan will enable both our entrepreneurs and all the people living in this city to see their future more clearly and use their resources efficiently."
Bursa Is a City of Great Value
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbey stated that they met with the city's business community to evaluate Bursa's main issues and the steps to be taken for its future. Noting that they received valuable information regarding the Bursa economy from BTSO Chairman İbrahim Burkay prior to the meeting, Bozbey said, "We have witnessed that Bursa is heading towards a critical point 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 compared with the cities we compete with globally, Bursa needs to be a central hub, with its transportation networks, as well as its industry and trade. Bursa is a city of great value in every aspect."
We are City Administrators, Not Politicians
Stating that Bursa’s industrialization effort, which began in the 1960s, has advanced the city's economy, Bozbey pointed out the negative effects of unplanned migration and the resulting unplanned development in recent years. He emphasized that all of Bursa’s dynamics must come together to assess the city’s position properly and express its needs clearly. Bozbey said, "We are not politicians; we are city administrators. We use the authority entrusted to us by you with a management approach based on participation. We care deeply about Bursa’s future. In this regard, we have an environmental planning project. While doing this, we must integrate the interests of all sectors—industry, agriculture, tourism, and trade—without one dominating the other, adopting an approach that prioritizes the environment. We believe that we need to collaborate to build the future and create a livable and sustainable Bursa."
62% of the City Consists of Illegal and Unsafe Buildings
Emphasizing that one of Bursa's most significant issues is earthquakes, Bozbey stated, "Unfortunately, 62% of our city consists of illegal and unsafe buildings. Additionally, many buildings are located on soil areas that are at risk of liquefaction. Factories are also situated in these areas. Our goal is to come together as the city's dynamics to build a stronger and more resilient city. We bear great responsibility in this regard. We must carry out urban planning with all of this in mind. In a world where cities compete, we need to come together and establish the best city constitution. We are also aware of the demands to move irregular industrial areas to organized zones. The plan we are about to create, known as the city constitution, will shape our next 100 years. Therefore, it needs to be in a structure that protects the city's ecosystem and adopts a sustainable approach."
Bozbey, expressing his gratitude to the entrepreneurs who add value to Bursa and to the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry for their efforts, emphasized his belief that the city can achieve even greater goals. During the meeting, Bozbey also delivered a presentation titled "Bursa’s New Planning Vision" and answered questions from business world representatives.
Bursa's Future Vision Must Be Structured with Collective Intelligence
BTSO Assembly President Ali Uğur stated that Bursa, which serves as the center of production and export in Turkey, has an annual total foreign trade volume of 28 billion dollars. Emphasizing that Bursa is among the cities in Turkey that have successfully integrated with the world, Uğur said, "Our city provides access to markets with a population of 1.5 billion people within a 3-hour flight distance. With these features, Bursa’s development and future vision need to be restructured with a global perspective and a collective intelligence approach. In this context, we highly value the new environmental planning work carried out by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. We hope that our suggestions regarding the restructuring of industrial and commercial areas and solving our problems will be taken into consideration in this plan. As a city, it is impossible to look towards the future without a future vision. With these thoughts, I hope that our meeting will open the door to result-oriented actions based on mutual goodwill, collective intelligence, and cooperation."
At the end of the meeting, BTSO Chairman of the Board İbrahim Burkay, Assembly President Ali Uğur, and Vice Chairman of the Board İsmail Kuş presented a tree planting certificate to Bursa Mayor Mustafa Bozbey.
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