Following the general assembly held at the Ege Tekstil ve Hammaddeleri İhracatçıları Birliği, Turan Göksan was elected as Chairman of the Board. Jak Eskinazi, who had served as chairman for the past eight years, handed over his duties and will continue to contribute to the sector by remaining on the board in the new term.
It was also stated that Eskinazi, who continues to serve as the Coordinator Chairman of the Aegean Exporters’ Associations, will maintain this role until the elections to be held in May.
The Second Göksan Era Begins
With Turan Göksan assuming office as the new chairman, the “Göksan” name has taken the leadership seat at the Aegean Exporters’ Associations for the second time. His father, Ahmet Bilge Göksan, served as Chairman of the Aegean Dried Fruits and Products Exporters’ Association between 1994 and 1997, making this transition symbolically significant. Having served as Vice Chairman since 2018, Göksan stands out as the youngest chairman among the 12 exporters’ associations within the Aegean Exporters’ Associations at the age of 42.
In his speech at the general assembly, Göksan clearly outlined the sector’s priority challenges. Emphasizing the strategic importance of cotton production, he underlined the need to increase government support. He pointed out that access to finance is one of the most critical issues for the sector and stated that stronger communication will be established with banks.
The key focus areas for the new term include:
· Increasing foreign exchange conversion and employment support
· Continuing green transformation efforts
· New UR-GE project applications
· Advancing work on artificial intelligence applications
Göksan expressed his belief that exports will be strengthened through teamwork and that the sector will overcome this challenging period by acting together.
International Expansion and Sustainability in the Eskinazi Era
Jak Eskinazi, who handed over the position, summarized the projects implemented during his eight-year term. He emphasized that significant added value was created in cotton through the “GMO Free Turkish Cotton” brand and noted that Türkiye has become more visible on international platforms.
In this context:
· Contributions were made to EU policies within EURATEX
· Türkiye was represented at the International Cotton Advisory Committee
· Cotton yield studies were carried out with the İzmir Commodity Exchange
During Eskinazi’s term, intensive efforts were also made in the field of sustainability.
These included:
· Better Cotton Standard practices
· Hemp workshops
· Textile and leather technologies symposiums
· The “Development of Sustainable Competitiveness in the Textile Sector” UR-GE project
Additionally, the LCA consultancy activity being selected as a best practice by the Ministry was one of the concrete outcomes of these efforts.
Active Promotion in Global Markets
The union increased its presence in global markets through international fairs and trade delegations.
Key activities included:
· Participation in Techtextil, Texprocess, and Heimtextil fairs in Germany
· ITMA Milan organization
· Fashion Prime buyer delegations
· Visits to the Netherlands
· Trade delegations to the UAE and the United Kingdom within the scope of the Carpet UR-GE Project
It was also announced that a new trade delegation to Malaysia is planned for the upcoming period.
Emphasis on Recycling in Uşak
Cooperation established with Uşak, one of Türkiye’s leading centers in recycling, drew attention. International projects supported by EU funds, including GREENTEX, MEDinCHAMBERS, and Horizon Europe, played a significant role in this process.
In addition, efforts were made to develop qualified human resources through the “I Prefer Textile Engineering” project. Following the approval of the 2026 budget and work program at the general assembly, elections were held, and Turan Göksan was elected as chairman as the sole candidate. The new board of directors consists of professionals operating in various fields of the sector, while the supervisory board has also been restructured.
Turan Göksan: A Young Leader with an International Perspective
Born in İzmir in 1984, Turan Göksan completed his secondary and high school education at İzmir American College and graduated from Koç University, Department of Business Administration. He completed his Master’s degree in Finance at Pace University in New York between 2006 and 2008 and began his career at Akça Holding in 2008.
Serving as a Board Member and Finance Director at Akça Holding, which operates in textile, energy, agriculture, and service sectors, Göksan is also actively involved in civil society as a member of TÜSİAD, EGİAD, and TAİDER.
This management change at ETHİB is considered not only a transfer of duties but also an indication that Aegean textile exporters are preparing for a new era with a more dynamic, young, and solution-oriented approach. In the coming period, the sector is expected to focus on access to finance, sustainable production, digitalization, and strengthening its position in global competition.
