Leading garment manufacturers join forces at the Intertek Istanbul Summit to give Turkey the Sustainability Advantage

Intertek Group plc (“Intertek”), a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, hosted a unique interactive event for its customers in Istanbul, Türkiye, bringing together some of the fashion and textile industry’s leading brands and representatives to highlight Turkey’s opportunity to make sustainability its competitive advantage globally.

As a global pioneer in sustainability, Intertek has been a trusted partner to the world’s leading brands, manufacturers and distributors for over 130 years. The company offers industry-leading assurance, testing, inspection and certification (‘ATIC’) solutions that cover all areas of the value chain, from functional textiles testing to physical performance evaluation and more. With over 1,000 laboratories and offices located in more than 100 countries throughout the world, Intertek provides clients with unparalleled expertise around major global regulations and trends.

The event, hosted by Intertek Türkiye, included insightful discussions guided by panellists Ramazan Kaya, Chairman of Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association; Caglar Cabuk, HR & Organizational Development & Sustainability and Management Systems Director of Gelisim Group / Founding Chairman of Sustainable Education Development & Excellence Association; Halide Pisken, Sustainability Unit Manager of DeFacto Türkiye; and Derya Ural, Sustainability Social & Environmental Program Manager, Europe Region of H&M Group. 

“Changing consumer demands have a great impact on the increasing importance of sustainable production both in the world and in our country. Especially with the effects of the climate crisis and the pandemic, consumers’ awareness of ready-made clothing products has increased. To meet the demands of consumers and the brands we cooperate with, we need to increase our sustainable and environmentally friendly production capacity, and for this, we need to change and transform” said Ramazan Kaya, Chairman of Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association.

These experts, along with invited guests from major international brands, key industry bodies and local manufacturers engaged in a range of panel discussions on topics including the opportunities and challenges of integrating sustainability practices, measuring return on sustainability investments, and the critical importance of collaboration at an industry-level in a constantly evolving regulatory landscape.

In recent years, particularly following the global COVID-19 pandemic, consumers have been paying greater attention to the quality and sustainability of materials used in fashion and accessories, as well as the risks associated with operations and global supply chains. As a trusted partner to its clients, Intertek helps businesses to navigate this shift and create a better world by bringing quality, safety and sustainability to life.

“Sustainability is the movement of our time and operating global supply chains with the future of our planet in mind is mission critical,” said Andre Lacroix, CEO, Intertek. “This event in Istanbul reflects Intertek Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to encourage knowledge exchange and collaboration within the Turkish textile and apparel industry. Türkiye’s proximity to the European market, coupled with its superior quality, customer-centric service culture and vertically integrated supply chains, means that the country is well positioned to become a global industry leader in sustainability.”

Learn more about Intertek’s industry-leading Sustainability Solutions: https://www.intertek.com/sustainability/intertek-sustainability-video/

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Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide.

Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains.

Intertek is a purpose-led company to Bring Quality, Safety and Sustainability to Life. We provide 24/7 mission-critical quality assurance solutions to our clients to ensure that they can operate with well-functioning supply chains in each of their operations.

Our Customer Promise is: Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently, with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.

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