GMO candidate Osman Kahraman highlights maritime's role in boosting Turkey's economy and creating jobs ahead of critical elections.
GMO Presidential Candidate Osman Kahraman: Maritime Industry Can Play a Strategic Role in Reducing the Current Account Deficit.
Turkey's shipbuilding and maritime sector is set to enter a critical election process in the coming weeks. Following the TMMOB Chamber of Ship Engineers (GMO) elections to be held on March 29, the Turkish Lloyd elections scheduled for April are seen as two significant thresholds that will determine the institutional structure of the sector, technical standards, and the future of the engineering ecosystem. Sector representatives indicate that these two elections, which play a critical role in ship engineering, marine technologies, and classification services, could directly affect Turkey's competitiveness in the maritime and shipping fields. Experts suggest that this election process may signify the beginning of a new era not only for the management of professional organizations but also in terms of industrial policies, engineering capacity, and international collaborations.
Ship engineering creates a multiplier effect in the economy.
Osman Kahraman, one of the strong candidates in the GMO elections, stated that ship engineering is one of the strategic areas that generates high added value for the Turkish economy, emphasizing that the shipbuilding industry creates a wide employment and industrial impact throughout its production chain.
In statements made prior to the general assembly on March 29, Kahraman reminded that approximately 90% of global trade occurs via maritime routes, highlighting the critical importance of the maritime sector for economic growth, exports, and the current balance.
Maritime is a strategic sector.
Kahraman noted that due to Turkey's geopolitical position, the shipbuilding and maritime industry offers significant opportunities for economic independence, expressing that strengthening engineering capacity would provide an advantage in global competition.
“A Turkey that designs, builds, operates, and classifies its own ships will achieve a stronger position in international competition,” he said.
It activates the industrial chain.
Kahraman pointed out that ship engineering is not merely a technical profession, stating that every engineering project activates many sectors such as steel production, automation technologies, software, and energy.
He mentioned that each direct employment created in the shipbuilding industry generates an indirect employment effect of 6 to 8 times in the sub-industry and service sectors, saying, “Employing a ship engineer is essentially mobilizing an industrial army.”
A new model for young engineers.
Kahraman indicated that they plan to establish a mentorship network, a transparent scholarship system, and internship programs integrated with the sector to support young engineers in remaining in the industry during the new term, expressing that a structure similar to the scholarship automation system he previously worked on within Turkish Lloyd is aimed to be introduced to the GMO.
Green transformation creates new opportunities.
Kahraman stated that carbon regulations, alternative fuel technologies, and sustainability topics present new opportunities for ship engineering, mentioning that plans are in place to increase technical collaborations with international professional organizations.
Kahraman emphasized that strengthening engineering capacity would contribute to Turkey's production power and export performance.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
