Turkish Packaging Manufacturers Association (ASD) Celebrated Its 25th Year

The Turkish Packaging Manufacturers Association (ASD) has celebrated its 25 ^th year with a special event. The host of the invitation, Mr. Zeki Sarıbekir, President of ASD, said; "We must follow the technology more, we must renew and develop ourselves constantly. Our Turkish packaging industry is focused on added value and it is going to be one step forward at the global competition. Turkish packaging industry is going to reach its goal with 30 billion dollars market growth and 10 billion dollars exportation in 2023, 100 ^th anniversary of founding the Turkish Republic.

The Turkish Packaging Manufacturers Association (ASD) has celebrated its 25 ^th foundation anniversary with an event hosted by ASD President Mr. Zeki Sarıbekir in Four Seasons Hotel at the night of September, 29. Sarıbekir has shared the last period business and goals of the association at the night participated by the ASD members and sector representatives. Thank you plaques were given to the associations and the institutions representatives who have supported the development of the sector and the Economist Prof. Dr. Özgür Demirtaş has shared its presentation about "Science, Economy, Future and You” with the participants.

Mr. Zeki Sarıbekir mentioned that Turkish packaging industry has reached to these days by following the technological developments closely and said; "We believe that Automation and Industry 4.0 is going to gain more importance in our sector. Because of this reason, we must follow the technology more, renew and develop ourselves. We should accurately tell the importance of the package, which adds value to the products. As association, while we were composing our

Crescent and Stars of Packaging Competition for 18 years from today, we have aimed to gain competitive capacity to the brand owners, designers and packaging & suppliers manufacturers in the international markets. Due to the WorldStar and AsiaStar international packaging competitions that the winner companies can attend, our added value focused Turkish packaging industry is going to be one step forward in the global competition. Bu are going to continue to these competitions to pass to the directive position from the passive position in the global markets.”

Mr Sarıbekir has reminded that Turkey is proceeding rapidly to become the package center of Eurasia and highlighted that the Eurasia Packaging Istanbul Exhibition which was organized for the 23 ^rd times this year, has grown 30 times more from its first year and become Eurasia's and Europe's biggest packaging fair organized every year with 1,150 participants from 40 countries and more than 58 thousand visitors from 95 countries. Sarıbekir also said that ASD has taken the decision to support the other sector associations operating in the packaging sector for 5 years' time and continued his words as; "We value our young people a lot, they are our future… 18 young talents, who have make it to the finals, have been determined in The National Package Design Student Competition, which we have organized for the 13, ^th time this year with the collaboration of Reed Tüyap. In the competition, which 84 applications from 10 different universities were done, we are going to provide scholarship opportunity for the first three finalists for their education life besides the monetary awards.

ASD President Sarıbekir said that the Turkish packaging sector is going to reach its goal with 30 billion dollars market growth and 10 billion dollars export in 2023 and told that; "Our sector has gained 2 billion dollars exportation income in the first 6 months of 2017 and executed 1 million 52 thousand tons of exportation. By focusing on the value added production, Turkish packaging industry continues its stable growth and had totally 407 million dollars foreign trade surplus at the six months period. Also our import has decreased 6 percent on amount basis and 8 percent in value relatively from the first 6 months of the last year. As we are the Turkish Packaging Manufacturers want to gain new markets. Our annual per capita consumption of packaging consumption per person passes 225 dollars by multiplying into two in the last 15 years. We are over the 110 dollars, which is the world average. But if it is taken into consideration that it is 350 dollars in Western Europe average, 450 dollars in North America and 550 dollars in Japan, still there is a big potential available. We are going to reach 20 billion dollars market growth in 2017. Also our target is 23 billion in 2018.”