Özer Matlı BTSO presidency campaign

Özer Matlı, a candidate for the presidency of the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), has campaigned on a platform of increasing production capacity and organizational competitiveness for the chamber’s 60,000 members.

During tours of various industrial zones, including Bursa Deri İhtisas ve Karma OSB, Hasanağa OSB, TOSAB, Kayapa OSB, and the Çalı Sanayicileri ve İş İnsanları Derneği, Matlı addressed member concerns regarding energy costs, infrastructure, skilled labor shortages, export obstacles, and the necessity of green transformation. He pledged to implement a “field-based” management model to provide financing, technology support, and improved market access, aiming to turn green-transition costs into competitive advantages for the local textile and manufacturing sectors.

Matlı further detailed a vision to shift BTSO away from person-centered decision-making toward a system reflecting the collective will of its membership. His proposal includes empowering 61 existing committees, integrating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into a unified structure, and establishing a Co-working Center to serve as a strategic hub for the Bursa business community.

As the election approaches, discussions regarding the city’s economic leadership have intensified. Matlı recently met with the ‘Thinking for Bursa’ working group to emphasize a holistic approach to development. Meanwhile, the chamber’s current leadership faces scrutiny as reports indicate Bursa’s contribution to Turkey’s total exports has declined from 10% in 2010 to an estimated 6% in 2025, leading critics to question the role of current President İbrahim Burkay in the city’s shrinking economic influence.