At the opening of the panel titled "Sustainability and Future Vision of Commercial and Logistic Activities in Türkiye in the 100th Year of the Republic," organized in collaboration between Yeditepe University and the Dış Ticarete Yön Verenler Derneği (DIŞYÖNDER), Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Osman Boyraz spoke, saying, "Logistics is present in every phase of our lives. Especially in recent years, air, sea, and road transportation have been developing at a breathtaking pace. Services are being carried out in all areas from east to west, north to south. We are enriching the concept of logistics with these services. Our geographic location is also strategically important. You can reach 64 countries and 2 billion people in a 3-hour flight. We need to advance our services even further."
The panel "Sustainability and Future Vision of Commercial and Logistic Activities in Turkey in the 100th Year of the Republic" was held in collaboration between Yeditepe University and DIŞYÖNDER. The opening speech of the panel was made by Prof. Dr. Canan Aykut Bingöl, Rector of Yeditepe University, discussing logistic activities in Turkey and future goals.
The panel, conducted in two sessions, first debated the sustainability of commercial activities in Turkey in the 100th year of the Republic. The session was moderated by Dr. Hakan Çınar, President of DIŞYÖNDER. The second session focused on logistic activities and future vision in Turkey in the 100th year of the Republic, moderated by Dr. İsmail Birer from Yeditepe University.
"WE WILL UNDERTAKE EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE PROJECTS"
Boyraz stated, "Currently, numerous high-speed train projects are underway in various parts of Türkiye. Services in every area of transportation continue to be provided. As these services are carried out, we hope to undertake even more impressive projects in the logistics field by Türkiye's 100th year. Our youth's enthusiasm, motivation, effort, and determination will drive us far beyond our current position. We have confidence in our young people."
"YOUNG INDIVIDUALS NOW FACE A NEW SET OF PUZZLES"
Underlining the importance of the meeting, Prof. Dr. Canan Aykut Bingöl, Rector of Yeditepe University, said, "Even when you wake up in the morning and go to work or university, you are making logistic decisions. It is a significant issue that extends from our daily lives to global trade. There is another importance to it. We are going through a very different period in the world. We are fighting the climate crisis and experiencing disasters. Therefore, young individuals now face a new set of puzzles. We believe that it is the young people who will solve these new problems. Understanding these meetings by the young generation is very important."
"RETURN RATES IN TÜRKİYE ARE AROUND 17%"
Speaking in the first session of the panel, Canan Mutlu, Global Logistics Director at Koton, said, "Global-scale research shows that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the carbon footprint generated by humans. This is a significant percentage. We are also one of the industries with a considerable share in water consumption. This industry has many stakeholders, so optimizing the process from design to production, transportation, and return is very valuable. We operate in 30 countries and have 450 stores, 200 of which are abroad. We also have sales in marketplaces in over 60 countries. In some countries, our return rate reaches 70%. In Türkiye, this rate is around 16-17%. Customers purchase products in different sizes and colors, choose one, and return the others. The return rates are meager in Turkey; Turkish customers are more sensitive when compared to other customers."
"WE ARE OBLIGED TO INNOVATE IN OUR THINKING AND ACTIONS"
Metin Okur, Chairman of the Board at Sefamerve, stated, "Sefamerve has become a passion project for us. There's a significant gap in this area that none of us paid attention to before. For example, we made the first sports hijab. Women didn't have the freedom to exercise with their husbands. If you can't bring women into society, you can't educate the family, and consequently, you can't educate the child. When I graduated from university, I didn't know what to do. I had the same fears, but one needs to look at things differently. If I had worked in logistics, I would have focused on optimization. I work in e-commerce and have built an excellent artificial intelligence team. However, an AI team without e-commerce knowledge can't accomplish much. Logistics experts should be part of the AI team, with knowledge for better optimization. The era of making money by driving or doing what computers can do is over. Everything is shifting from macro to micro. Bulk cargo shipping is also ending."
Berna Akyıldız, President of The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Turkey, spoke about her 39-year career in the logistics sector, starting in a family business, "I was in the field of transportation in Africa and the Middle East, as well as project logistics. About six months before the pandemic, they asked me my opinion about establishing CILT in Turkey. After some research, I decided that having such an institution in the country would be beneficial and started negotiations. The purpose of establishing this UK-based company is to study how transportation can be better executed worldwide."
