Foreign Trade Networking - GSO

Overview

2026 Foreign Trade Predictions and Target Markets

In collaboration with Gaziantep Chamber of Industry, Akbank and İnovakademi, Wednesday, December 10, 2025 the Gaziantep Chamber of Industry service building at 13:00 Open to business owners, managers and employees from all sectors We are organizing a major networking event.

This event, Professionals from foreign trade and different sectors It is an important meeting that will bring together sectoral forecasts for 2026 to be shared, allowing for new business connections to be established. Information sharing, strategic collaborations and international business opportunities will be offered for participants from different areas of the business world.

Who Can Join?

Regardless of the industry, all professionals, entrepreneurs, business people and employees involved in the business world are invited to our event.

What Will You Win?

Opportunity to learn sector forecasts for the year 2026,
Establishing goal-oriented new business contacts,
Gaining competitive advantage and developing strategic planning,
Expand your business network with trust-based collaborations.

Program Flow

13:00-13:30 Registration and Catering

13:30-15:00 Panel

Huseyin AYDIN: India Mumbai Past Term Trade Consultant
Şeniz East DURAN: Akbank Foreign Trade Department Manager
Gökhan Erol: President of İnovakademi, President of Sustainable Trade Association, Moderator
Uğur KILIÇARSLAN: China Beijing Past Term Trade Counsel
Ahmet Fikret KILLER: Head of Coordinator of Southeast Anatolian Exporters Associations, TIM Tekstil and
Chairman of the Sector Board of Raw Materials, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Southeast Anatolian Textile and Raw Materials Exporters
Tamer TAŞKIN: DEIK Africa Business Council Past President, South African Republic Izmir Honorary Consul, Honorary Consuls Association Chairman
Adnan ÜNVERDI: Gaziantep Chamber of Industry (GSO)
(Ordered alphabetically by surname)

15:00-16:30 Networking

The event is open to the participation of business professionals from all sectors.

Participation It's free.

Networking

What is Networking?

Networking means that individuals and businesses in the business world come together to build relationships, meet, and create business connections. This process helps businesses create new business opportunities by interacting with their customers and other businesses. Networking is usually carried out through social events, fairs, or professional organizations, allowing business owners to share information with each other.

Benefits of Networking

The main benefits that Networking provides are:

New Job Opportunities: Networking provides businesses with the opportunity to provide new customers and business opportunities.
Information and Idea Shopping: Business owners can learn about developments in the industry by communicating with other professionals.
Competitive Advantage: Through Networking, businesses can develop their strategies by learning about the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors.
Support and Motivation: New connections can provide business owners with moral support and motivation.
Business Enlargement: Establishing business connections contributes to the growth of businesses.

What is the Difference of this Activity?

The networking organization, which will be held in Gaziantep on December 10, 2025, is organized in collaboration with Gaziantep Chamber of Industry (GSO), Akbank and inovakademi. This event aims to provide participants with the opportunity to establish business contacts not only locally, but also internationally. Taking advantage of the principles of international networking organizations in particular, participants are intended to build trust relationships and evaluate new business opportunities.

Among the elements that make this activity different from others:

Target Focus: Participants will experience a more targeted networking by connecting directly with professionals in certain sectors.
Future Prediction and Support: Through the 2026 predictions to be presented during the event, participants will have the opportunity to improve their planning skills outside of networking.
Wide Participation Network: The event aims to create more business opportunities by creating a wide network of participation in the foreign trade sector.

These features will make the event more efficient for participants and allow for significant connections in the business world.

Speakers

Huseyin AYDIN

Hüseyin Aydın has been working in the Ministry of Trade (formerly the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economy) General Directorate of Exports since 2010.

Between 2019 and 2023, he worked in the development of trade relations between Turkey and India in the role of Mumbai Trade Attache and in the entry of Turkish companies into the Indian market.

Following his duty in India, he works as a Senior Trade Specialist at the Directorate of Brand and Design Supports of the Ministry of Exports.

Şeniz East Duran

Born January 1983 Şeniz East DuranHe is a graduate of Hacettepe University Business Department. Following his undergraduate studies, he completed his master's degree in European Union at Middle East Technical University.

Career in the banking sector Citibank Ankara Kavaklıdere BranchIt started here after serving for 1.5 years. Directorate of Fund Management of Agricultural Credit CooperativesHe worked for 3.5 years.

His career in foreign trade QNBIt started in İstanbul, within this scope, he moved to Istanbul and served in foreign trade sales and product management units within the general directorate for 9 years.

Then AkbankŞeniz East Duran, who joined Şeniz East Duran, here for 7 years Director of Foreign Trade Department It serves as a mission. He has been responsible for both product and sales management for the first 6.5 years, and has been working on the product management side for the last 6-7 months.

Gökhan EROL

– İnovakademi President
– President of the Sustainable Trade Association

Gökhan Erol holds a degree in Business Administration from A.Ü. He began his career in logistics before joining Evyap Holding and Ödül İlaç. Since 2002, Erol has shared his expertise in foreign trade, target market analysis, international marketing and government incentives He shares his expertise and 34 years of industry experience through training and consulting. He has supported the training and employment of over 40,000 qualified foreign trade professionals across many provinces of Turkey and takes part in university conferences and seminars. His consulting prepares SMEs for international competition and trade. By diagnosing organizations’ business operations generally, and their international trade / foreign trade departments specifically, he conducts SWOT analyses, develops roadmaps for areas that can be improved, and monitors and reports on implementation results.

Through his seminar series, ‘İçinden Dış Ticaret Geçen Sohbetler’ (Conversations on Foreign Trade), Erol shares his experience with university students and people entering the profession. The Dış Ticaret Perileri project, which he conceived and coordinated in 2010, attracted attention for its success.

“New Incentive Schemes and an Investment Guide for Investors” is Erol’s published book. He is also working with the İnovakademi team on a joint book about artificial intelligence and foreign trade, scheduled for publication in 2026.

34 years of industry experience designed as output TheGlobby as an export application focused on target market analysis and business intelligence. It is available to exporters on the Apple Store and Google Play platforms.

Akbank, TOBB, TIM, Exporters' Associations, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is still İnovakademi, UR-GE projects. He also contributes to projects at the invitation of various universities.

Uğur KILIÇARSLAN

– Founder of KLC Sanayi Ticaret ve Danışmanlık A.Ş.
– Former Trade Counsel of the Republic of Turkey
– Former Trade Inspector of the Ministry of Commerce of the Republic of Turkey
– ECO General Secretariat Director of Human Resources and Sustainable Development

Born in 1977 in Ankara, Uğur KILIÇARSLAN graduated from Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences, Department of Finance with a bachelor's degree between 1995 and 2000. Between 2010 and 2012, he completed an MBA in English at Renmin Business School, Renmin University of China.

From 2002 to 2012, he was the Controller at the Undersecretariat for Foreign Trade of the Republic of Turkey and from 2012 to 2014 he served as Inspector at the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Turkey. Between 2014 and 2018, he continued to serve as Director of Human Resources and Sustainable Development at the Organization for Economic Cooperation (EIT). Between 2019 and 2023, he served as a Trade Counsel at the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Beijing.

He left public office in 2024, becoming his own consulting firm. KLC Sanayi Ticaret ve Danışmanlık A.Ş.He founded and still continues his consulting activities here.

In 2022, published in Turkish and English "Information Needed for Companies Doing Business with China" He is the author of the book.

Ahmet Fikret KILECİ

Ahmet Fikret Kileci was born in 1965 in Gaziantep, his high school education is at Gaziantep Anatolian High School and his undergraduate education is at Uludag University İ.I.B.F. He completed in the Department of Economics. KILECİ, who speaks good English, first started exporting in 1988. He continues to work as the founder and chairman of the board of directors of different companies operating in textile, garment, packaging, recycling, organic food, technology, railway and container transport. Still; Kileci Textile Food Packaging Industry and Trade. Ltd. In addition to Şti., Simfleks Textile and Packaging San. Tic. Inc., Ornes Food Paz. and Tic. Inc., Eko FNS Recycling Energy and Technologies San. Tic. Inc., Ecosu Tech Environmental and Water Technologies San. Tic. Ltd. Şti. serves as the founder and manager of Ata Rail Inc. and Gaziport Inc. Kileci, who plays amateur football, amateur volleyball and tennis as a licensed driver, continues to ski, play tennis and ride motorcycles, as well as having many awards as a motor drag racer.

Kileci is married and has two children.

Ismail Tamer TAŞKIN

– DEIK Africa Business Council Past Term President
– Honorary Consul of the Republic of South Africa Izmir
– Honorary Consuls Association

Born in 1951, he completed his studies as a Textile Engineer. In 1979, ISTAŞ started its business by establishing Heat Treatment, and in 1995, Petrofer made an important initiative in the sector by establishing Industrial Oils. These companies, which he founded, are now among the leading organizations in their respective fields.

During his career, he played an active role in various NGOs and business organizations. He was President of the Cesme Sailing Club, assumed the position of Chairman of the Chamber of Industry of the Aegean Region, and contributed to the development of the Turkish economy with the Board of Directors of the Chambers Association. In addition, he served as the President of the African Coordinatorship and the Coordinator of the African Business Council in the organization of DEIK, and led the development of international business relations. He also contributed to the development of the sector by being a member of the Board of Directors in important sector organizations such as KalDer and TAYSAD.

Since 1992, he has been successfully serving as the Honorary Consul General of the Republic of South Africa, and has played an active role in diplomacy for many years. Since last year, he has been elected President of the Honorary Consulates Association, which has strengthened the inter-consular cooperation and contributed to the development of diplomatic relations.

He is still the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Petrofer Industrial Oils Factory, where he is the founder, and he continues to lead the industry by defining the company's strategic vision. It has had a wide range of influence both in business and in social and diplomatic fields with its leadership and services.

Adnan ÜNVERDI

– Gaziantep Chamber of Industry (GSO) Chairman of the Board

He was born in 1962 in Gaziantep. After completing his primary, secondary and high school education in Gaziantep, he graduated from Çukurova University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business in 1983. In 1986, he began his business with the cotton yarn trade.

In 1990, Ünverdi Family founded Plaspen Plastik Inc., Gaziantep's first plastic, door and window garment workshop, as a family company.

Since 2006, Ünverdi Plastik San. ve Tic. Ltd. Ünverdi started production of compaunds with chemical mixtures under the name Şti., and is still working towards this sector.

Adnan Ünverdi, Member of the Board of Directors of Gaziantep Young Businessmen Association between 1997 and 1999, Gaziantep Free Zone A.Ş. between 2004 and 2009. He served as a Fellow of the Opposition and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gaziantep Chamber of Industry Vocational Training Center.

Since 1999, he has served in Gaziantep Chamber of Industry as a Member of the Board, Member of the Correspondent and Deputy Chairman of the Board.

In April 2018, Adnan Ünverdi was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Gaziantep Chamber of Industry and was re-elected to the presidency on 20 October 2022.

He is currently acting President of the Council of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), Member of the TOBB Accreditation Board, Member of the Board of Directors of the Silk Road Development Agency, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.

Ünverdi was also a member of the Board of Directors of Gazişehir Gaziantep Football Club.

Adnan Ünverdi is married and has three children.