GIGDER's 2nd Ordinary General Assembly, held on November 8, 2023, resulted in the appointment of Mr. Bayram Tekçe as the new Chairman of the Board. Having previously served as the Vice Chairman of the Board for many years, Tekçe took over the leadership from Faruk Akbal.
As the Real Estate Service Exporters Association (GIGDER), representing the international face of the real estate sector in Turkey, our 2nd Ordinary General Assembly took place on November 8 with the active participation of our members. Faruk Akbal, who has held the position of GIGDER Chairman of the Board for the past four years, passed on the presidency to Bayram Tekçe. Tekçe expressed their commitment to advancing the organization, stating, "Firstly, we have changed the name of our association from the Real Estate Overseas Promotion Association to the Real Estate Service Exporters Association. The abbreviation remains the same. I would like to emphasize that we are ready for the new term with our strong management team. I am excited to lead our association to new heights. In the upcoming period, as GİGDER, we will take the necessary steps to establish the legal infrastructure for the creation of the real estate export ecosystem. We will continue our negotiations for the development of the Residency by Investment (RBI) in our country. I wholeheartedly believe that we will move our association forward with cooperation and solidarity."
Highlighting the challenges faced by GIGDER members in foreign real estate sales, Chairman Bayram Tekçe acknowledged the difficult conditions under which GIGDER members strive to attract direct investments to Turkey. He stated, "We know how our ancestors founded this country 100 years ago with difficulties, sacrifices, and great achievements. Therefore, with the right strategy, we will overcome these challenges together and continue to attract direct investment to our beautiful country. We have increased the annual direct investment amount from $300-500 million to $7-8 billion. Now, with solidarity, we will overcome major challenges. In the new term, I attach importance to media communication and member communication in this regard. We need to continue explaining the truths of the sector. Real estate investments constitute an average of 46% of countries' total direct investments. We will contribute more to our country. We will continue to ensure cash flow to our sector. For this purpose, I prioritize being a service exporter. We changed the name of our association for this purpose."
Proposing the honorary presidency to the founding chairman Faruk Akbal, Chairman Bayram Tekçe shared information about the goals of the new board. He expressed gratitude to Faruk Akbal for his valuable contributions to the association and stated, "I thank our esteemed president Faruk Akbal, who has made invaluable contributions to our association until today. I believe that we have made great progress on this journey that we started with 10 people four years ago. Our president, Mr. Faruk, has brought the industry together, strengthening our association. There is no other organization for intermediaries and project marketers in our sector. We saw from the beginning how correct our work was with the stage we recorded. I thank my president, who works with dedication. The seeds you have planted will yield beautiful results. For this reason, I propose the honorary presidency to our founding president Faruk Akbal."
The new Board of Directors of the Real Estate Service Exporters Association (GIGDER) is as follows:
