Gaziantep, the heart of Turkey’s carpet manufacturing, started to host world carpet industry professionals with Gaziantep Carpet Fair. The fair, which brought together the strong brands of the industry and international buyers at the Middle East Expo Center (OFM) between 28-31 May 2024, attracted great attention from the first day.
Gaziantep, the locomotive of the carpet industry in our country, hosts the Gaziantep Carpet Fair, which is organized to introduce Turkey’s power and diversity in carpet production to the world. Prepared with the cooperation of Tüyap Fair Organization Group, Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce, Gaziantep Carpet Producers Chamber and with the support of Gaziantep Governorship, Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and Southeastern Anatolia Carpet Exporters Association (GAHIB), Gaziantep Carpet Fair aims to contribute to the development of the sector by bringing together the strong brands of the sector and international buyers.
The fair attracted great attention from the first day
When the fair opened its doors on May 28, it was filled with visitors who were curious about the carpet industry and wanted to establish business connections. At the fair, local and foreign participants exhibit their products, mainly in a range of machine-made carpets, prayer rugs, mats and rugs. The fair also includes textile floor coverings, fibers, yarns, textile machinery and accessories. 150 companies and company representatives from 10 countries are participating in the fair, which is held in 2 halls and an area of 25 thousand square meters.
Tüyap Fairs Production Inc. General Manager İlhan Ersözlü said, “We are proud to organize one of the most important events of the carpet industry. This year, visitors from 80 countries registered at our fair, as well as participants from regions such as the Middle East, Europe, Africa and America. In addition, over 200 visitors attended our fair. These delegations include purchasing delegations from countries such as Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Iraq, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Egypt and Mauritania. It once again proves its importance in the carpet industry and the reputation it has gained internationally. The negotiations, agreements and collaborations to be held throughout the fair will create great opportunities for both our participating companies and our industry. I hereby hope that our fair will be productive and successful for all of us. “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to its realization and express my respects to you, our valued participants and guests.”
Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce President Tuncay Yıldırım stated in his opening speech that Gaziantep is a city that has become a brand in carpet weaving not only in Turkey but also around the world. Yıldırım said, “Our city, which is one of the important stops of the historical Silk Road, has been the center of trade and crafts for centuries. According to TOBB Industry Database data, the annual machine-made carpet production capacity in our country is 430 million square meters. 75 percent of this, that is, approximately 322 million square meters, is production Its capacity is in Gaziantep. It accounts for 83 percent of Turkey’s carpet exports and 34 percent of world exports. In short, millions of square meters of carpets are woven on hundreds of looms in our city and the data shows that Gaziantep has a huge carpet industry. As you know, it is the strongest muscle of the industry, we need to exercise it and nourish it properly to keep a muscle in our body strong. Therefore, every sectoral fair held in the city contributes to the revival of the tourism sector and our local tradesmen. Our fair contributes to the cultural and touristic values of Gaziantep, along with its contributions to our local economy. “I would like to thank our local and foreign exhibitors, visitors, contributors and all those who supported us at the Gaziantep Carpet Fair, and I wish the fair to be auspicious for all of us,” he said.
The fair opens doors to new business opportunities Considering that the carpet industry carries Turkey’s global trade volume to 17.2 billion dollars and exports approximately 3 billion dollars of carpets to 117 countries, Gaziantep Carpet Fair constitutes an important platform for companies in the sector. Gaziantep is the region with the most carpet production in the world. In this context, the fair offers an ideal environment for companies to strengthen their business connections and capture new business opportunities.
