The protest came abruptly, shortly after the start of Texhibition’s celebratory dinner: on one side was the entire broad board of Ithib, the Istanbul Textile Exporters Association, and on the other were some international journalists.

“Do you know the latest decisions of Première Vision?” asked Ahmet Öksüz, the chairman sitting in the middle of the table. At the nods of assent he received, he wanted to express his regret.

Marginalized, that’s how we feel

Ahmet Öksüz

“It is unacceptable what they decided in Paris,” he said, “because they are going to marginalize us in Hall 6, together with non-European companies, in the midst of Asians, without anticipating anything. It is true that Turkey is not in Europe, but from a certain point of view neither is the United Kingdom, yet British companies will go to Hall 5. Marginalized, that’s how we feel.”

The protest prompted a series of speeches, with Necat Altin, Ithib board member and Turkish textile representative within Euratex, confirming Öksüz’s disappointment and annoyance: “We can understand the division into commodity sectors,” he explained, “but they cannot isolate Turkey, especially at a time when Covid was supposed to have taught teamwork, being together, all working in the same direction.

“This is discrimination,” the president retorted, “against one of the oldest and largest textile industries. No one asked us what we thought about this choice. They could divide by quality criteria, by level of sustainability, but not by nationality.”