Istanbul: The Trkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) and Trendyol signed a strategic cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening Trkiye's cross-border e-commerce ecosystem. The agreement, announced by TIM President Mustafa Gultepe and Trendyol Group President Caglayan Cetin, marks a significant step in enhancing the country's e-export landscape.
According to Anadolu Agency, under the partnership, Trendyol will serve as TIM's e-export partner, working to raise awareness about e-export opportunities, host training sessions, and facilitate collaborative projects nationwide. The initiative seeks to help all stakeholders embrace e-exports, contribute to the sustainable growth of Trkiye's cross-border trade, and add value to the national economy.
Gultepe remarked on the transformative potential of the partnership, noting that Trkiye's e-export volume rose by 27% last year to $6.4 billion, yet still only constituted 2.6% of total exports. He emphasized that e-exports are now accessible to individual entrepreneurs, producers, and designers, enabling even small workshops to reach international markets.
Highlighting the necessity of adapting to rapid changes, Gultepe underscored TIM's commitment to establishing mechanisms to manage this transition. The collaboration with Trendyol includes organizing e-export meetings across all seven regions of Trkiye, with a focus on engaging women entrepreneurs, young producers, and small businesses.
Additional plans involve raising public awareness through e-export training for business journalists, promoting geographically indicated products globally, and creating experience zones at Trkiye Innovation Week to demonstrate e-commerce platform operations. Gultepe also mentioned potential collaboration with Trk Ticaret Bankasi to provide affordable financing for e-export.
Gultepe set ambitious export targets of $280 billion for this year and $375 billion by 2028, stressing the essential role of e-exports in achieving these goals. He expressed confidence in the productivity of the cooperation with Trendyol.
Cetin, on the other hand, highlighted Trendyol's success in aiding over 120,000 business partners in accessing export markets. He affirmed that the partnership aims to enhance awareness of e-exports in Trkiye and strengthen the global representation of 'Made in Trkiye' products. Cetin expressed optimism that combining Trendyol's e-export capabilities with TIM's experience would position Trkiye as a regional leader in e-commerce.