The Ordinary General Assembly of the Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters’ Association (İDMİB) was held at the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) Foreign Trade Complex with strong participation from industry stakeholders. As a result of the elections, current President Güven Karaca was re-elected for a second term with broad sector support.
Entering the new term with a strong vision, Karaca emphasized that İDMİB will accelerate its transformation process and position Turkey more effectively in global competition.
“We Will Be the Pioneer, Not Just a Part of the Transformation”
Following the election, Karaca stated that İDMİB will evolve from a representative body into a proactive organization that actively shapes global markets.
“The world is changing rapidly. We cannot expect different results by doing the same things. Either we play by global rules or we fall behind,” he noted, highlighting the next four years as a critical period for the industry.
A New Era of Aggressive Marketing
In the new term, İDMİB will focus on marketing, digitalization, sustainability, and education.
Karaca stressed that a more aggressive approach will be adopted in target markets, with increased buyer delegations and trade missions to bring international clients to Turkey and support Turkish companies abroad.
The ultimate goal is to position İDMİB as a true global marketing hub for the leather sector.
Record-Breaking Young and Inclusive Leadership
The new board stands out with an average age of 39 and the inclusion of four female members—marking a record in the history of exporters’ associations.
“We are determined to build the future with young exporters,” Karaca said, underlining a dynamic and forward-looking management approach.
Target: Higher Value, Not Higher Volume
Highlighting the global leather and leather products market size of approximately $300 billion, Karaca stated that Turkey aims to increase its share through a strategic shift.
“We must produce higher value with less volume,” he said, emphasizing branding, sustainability, and innovation as key drivers of export growth.
Rising unit prices in recent years are seen as a strong indicator that the sector is on the right track.
New Export Records on the Horizon
Karaca also noted that the 2022–2026 period marked the highest number of export-oriented activities in the sector’s history, including B2B meetings, fairs, and trade missions.
He confirmed that these efforts will be further intensified in the new term, aiming to break new export records and strengthen Turkey’s global positioning.
