Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu Praises Sakarya’s Agricultural Leadership at Trade Exchange Opening

TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the inauguration of the new service building of the Sakarya Trade Exchange (STB). He emphasized the city’s fertile geography and its role in feeding the world, noting that Turkey’s population growth each year equals the size of Turkey itself.

Hisarcıklıoğlu highlighted Sakarya’s agricultural statistics: 126,000 hectares of farmland, 43 % irrigated; annual production of 95,000 tons of hazelnuts (third in Turkey), top ranking in outdoor ornamental plant cultivation, 380,000 tons of corn, 60 % of Turkey’s quince coming from Geyve, and 14,000 tons of pumpkin, making the city a national leader in several crops.

The new STB facility was described as a five‑star service centre, accredited by a European rating body to match standards seen in London, Paris and Berlin. Hisarcıklıoğlu said the exchange now serves as a model for chambers of commerce in Islamic countries, offering guidance rather than merely copying foreign models. He also spoke about the organization’s financial support to members, mentioning guarantees for banks and credit schemes benefiting hundreds of thousands of members.