Minister Kacır: We will make Turkey a leading country in the halal economy

Minister of Industry and Technology Kacır attended the International Halal Conformity Assessment Symposium organized by the Turkish Standards Institute (TSE) and the Presidency of Religious Affairs.

In his speech here, Kacır stated that behind many products and services used in daily life, there are value chains that include many countries, and said, "This situation brings with it the need to establish mechanisms on a national and international scale that will ensure that consumers trust the products they purchase. With transparent production processes, an approach that prioritizes human health, and fair and sustainable principles, the halal sector allows Muslims to live their lives in line with religious principles."

Kacır stated that transparent production processes enable access to reliable products and services in many areas, from finance to food, from medicine to tourism.

"The size of the halal tourism market has exceeded 250 billion dollars"

Kacır, who pointed out that halal products and services are increasingly preferred not only by Muslims but also by individuals of different faiths, continued his speech as follows:

"The global halal economy is a dynamic and rapidly growing ecosystem that appeals to a wider consumer base day by day in terms of its scale and scope. The halal certified cosmetics sector has a scale of over 80 billion dollars. The size of the halal tourism market has exceeded 250 billion dollars. With the strong growth momentum it has achieved, the 2 trillion dollar global halal food market is expected to reach a volume of 5 trillion dollars in 2033. We are determined to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the halal economy and make our country the leading country that directs the global halal economy. In this sense, our country has great advantages. We are the 11th largest economy in the world and the 2nd largest among the members ofthe Organization of Islamic Cooperation . Our country has the ability to offer competitive products and services that will meet consumer expectations in different areas of the halal sector with its strong production and technology development infrastructure."

"Turkey's role is increasing day by day"

Kacır pointed out that among the trade bridges built around the world under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the ties established with Islamic countries in particular are valuable and strong, and said that the increasing trade and economic ties with friendly and brotherly Islamic geography are increasing Turkey's role in the global halal economy day by day.

Kacır, who stated that halal certification is of critical importance in order to create a healthy functioning halal economy, said, "In this direction, we established the Halal Accreditation Agency (HAK), which is the only authority authorized to provide halal accreditation services in our country, under the leadership of the Ministry of Commerce . We have taken important steps for the sustainable, continuous and standardized execution of products and services."

Kacır stated that TSE, as the leading institution in the fields of standardization and conformity assessment, is at the forefront of ensuring citizens have access to halal products and services.

Kacır stated that the institute, which acts in coordination withthe Presidency of Religious Affairs to ensure that consumers have access to products and services that are in line with their beliefs and values, has issued 572 halal conformity certificates to date, and made the following statements:

"Our institute will continue to work to reveal the true potential of halal product and service trade, as it has done so far. In addition, the fact that a significant number of organizations operating in the field of halal conformity assessment worldwide do not continue their work within the framework of accreditation rules can lead to unfair competition in the market and damage the reliability of the halal certificate. We continue our work with the principle of 'let no harm come to halal'. As Turkey, we are the supporter and pioneer of studies aimed at standardizing halal certification globally, eliminating confusion on this issue and reducing costs associated with multiple certifications."

Kacır recalled that they had recently visited Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan under the leadership of President Erdoğan, and that cooperation and strategic partnerships in the fields of halal standardization, certification and accreditation were important topics of the visits.

"TSE assumes a leading role in the halal sector on a global scale"

TSE President Mahmut Sami Şahin also underlined that it has become a basic need for the Muslim population, which is approaching 2 billion in the world, to be able to access goods and services that are in line with their religious sensitivities, and said that it is a religious obligation for a Muslim individual to be able to consume their food and receive services with peace of mind, without conflicting with their beliefs.

Pointing out that the halal sector is a preferred choice not only for Muslim communities but also for consumers all over the world in terms of quality, reliability and ethical standards, Şahin noted the following:

"Halal conformity assessment activities, which started on a small scale in the 1970s, have reached a trillion-dollar economic size today and have become a large market on a global scale. This great potential has accelerated the standardization, accreditation and conformity assessment processes in the halal field. Halal certification requires meticulous inspection that covers not only the content of a product but also the entire process from production to delivery to the consumer. During this process, both the compliance of products with Islamic rules and quality and hygiene standards are evaluated with great care," he said.

Following the speeches, Minister Kacır presented a model of Türksat 6A to the President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş, and Erbaş presented a tafsir titled "Life Guide Quran" to Kacır.