The election season has officially kicked off for the Turkish chemical industry, the nation's second-largest exporter. Vefa İbrahim Aracı, a prominent industrialist and veteran of the sector, formally announced his candidacy for the Presidency of the Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters' Association (İKMİB) during a press conference held in Istanbul on February 17.
Broad Participation at the Candidacy Announcement
The meeting, held at the Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, brought together current İKMİB President Adil Pelister along with presidents and executives from major sectoral associations representing chemicals, plastics, cosmetics, glassware, and paint, including PAGEV, PAGDER, BOSAD, PLAT, and ZÜCDER.
Aracı defined his candidacy not as a competition but as an "assumption of responsibility" for the sector's future, framing his core message as "Time for Unity in Chemistry."
2025 Export Figures and Strategic Goals
The key data highlighted in the report underscores the sector's weight in the Turkish economy:
- Export Volume: $31.9 billion in 2025.
- Market Diversity: Exports to 238 countries and regions.
- Share: 13.5% of Turkey's total exports.
Vefa İbrahim Aracı stated that a holistic management approach covering all 16 sub-sectors is required to carry this performance further. Referring to the impact of import dependency in basic chemicals on the current account deficit, Aracı emphasized that they would closely monitor investment incentives aimed at increasing domestic production capacity.
The GEBKİM Model and Value-Added Focus
Highlighting his identity as an industrialist and his experience with GEBKİM—Turkey’s first specialized chemical industrial zone—Aracı expressed his goal to expand this model of clustering and integrated production across İKMİB.
The pillars of his candidacy roadmap include:
- Data-Driven Management: Focusing on high-value-added products through HS code-level analysis.
- Green Transformation: Turning digitalization and carbon footprint management into a competitive advantage.
- Institutionalization: Increasing the efficiency of the Chemical Technology Center (KTM) and systematizing information sharing within the sector.
Message of Support from Adil Pelister
Speaking at the meeting, the current President Adil Pelister noted their efforts to strengthen R&D and certification infrastructure during his tenure. Pelister expressed his support, viewing Aracı’s candidacy as a continuation of the strategic steps taken to date and the sector's "collective journey."
Vefa İbrahim Aracı concluded his speech by thanking the current administration, pledging to conduct the election process with the goal of preserving the sector’s legacy while carrying it into the future.
