EYÜP SEVİMLİ RE-ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF EGEDERİDER

The Ordinary General Assembly Meeting of the Aegean Region Leather Industrialists Association (EGEDERİDER), which brings together leather industry professionals from İzmir and the Aegean Region, was held at the İzmir Free Zone.

At the General Assembly chaired by Emir Ensari, the list led by current EGEDERİDER President Eyüp Sevimli was re-elected, reaffirming the members' confidence in his leadership.

In the new term, the EGEDERİDER Board of Directors will consist of Eyüp Sevimli, Süleyman Tahiroğlu, Abdurrahman Akay, Mehmet Eriten, Selman Sağer, Muharrem Eriten, Emir Ensari, Bahri Taş, Yunus Aytekin, and Recep Yılmaz.

The Supervisory Board will include Halim Sarıtoprak, Levent Balkara, Ali Azgın, Mehmet Ali Akbarlak, Mehmet Büncü, and Enver Ağartıoğlu.

EMPHASIS ON UNITY IN THE PROFESSION

Following the General Assembly, EGEDERİDER President Eyüp Sevimli stated that they will continue efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of firms operating in the sector and to foster unity and cooperation within the profession.

Reminding that the İzmir Free Zone is one of the first well-planned and fully equipped production centers of the Turkish leather industry, Sevimli said:

“Our leather sector in Turkey experienced an 18% decline in exports in 2024. We can mitigate the effects of this loss by focusing on productivity and high value-added production. We are carrying out various initiatives to closely monitor global competitors and to establish necessary collaborations with relevant public and private institutions in our country.”

Sevimli added that EGEDERİDER will continue to share the sector’s best practices and constructive, actionable recommendations with the public and policymakers. He also noted that they actively voice the sector’s priorities through their affiliations with the Turkish Leather Foundation (TURDEV), the Turkish Leather Industrialists Association (TDSD), and the Western Anatolian Industrialists and Businesspeople Associations Federation (BASİFED).