"Şeker-İş" Sugar Production Union celebrated its 60th anniversary in Ankara. Speaking at the 60th anniversary celebration, "Şeker-İş" Chairman İsa Gök pointed out that a different era is being experienced in the sugar industry.
"At the point we have reached today, we are living in a period in which many products are included after privatizations, many factors are in constant interaction with each other, and the sugar market is fully active throughout the world," Gök said.
Pointing out that the sugar industry has a significant weight in the Turkish economy, Gök emphasized that sugar beet is a strategic and political product that concerns all consumer segments, from workers to producers.
"Frankly, Turkey should declare a 'state of emergency' in the sugar beet and sugar sector, which is a strategic product, especially in food products, as we always express. I would also like to remind you that there are still production-based problems in many of the privatized sugar factories. Today, Turkey, which has an important position among the countries producing sugar from beet with a share of 6.6 percent in world beet sugar production, must first solve the structural problems in the sector, increase premiums and supports by taking into account the high increases in input prices, and increase its producers in order to make the world accept its superiority in the sugar sector. needs to be protected. Otherwise, our country is a candidate to lose its supremacy in sugar at this rate," Gök added.
Pointing out the necessity of making the production of sugar beet healthier for the future, Gök stated that the beet has become a refugee due to YYT imports.
"Neither high-intensity sweeteners nor starch-based sugars are substitutes for natural beet sugar. Such definitions mean that the sugar beet sector, which creates millions of employment and added value for our country, is sacrificed to YYTs, which do not even have employment. While the YYT sector, which does not even have employment today, but has a high profit margin that makes it beet sugar, creates millions of dollars of added value loss for our country, it plays into the hands of some cartels in the domestic market," Gök stated.
After the speech, Şeker-İş Union Chairman İsa Gök cut the cake prepared for the 60th anniversary of Şeker-İş Union together with the members of the press participating in the program.