Minister Kacır: TSE has issued 572 halal compliance certificates to date

Minister of Industry and Technology Mehmet Fatih Kacır attended the 'International Halal Conformity Assessment Symposium' held at the Presidency of Religious Affairs.

The program also featured the President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş. Minister Kacır stated that halal products and services are increasingly preferred not only by Muslims but also by individuals of different faiths, and said, “Globalization has opened the door to the circulation of products, services and ideas without borders. Today, many products and services used in daily life are backed by value chains involving many countries. This situation also brings with it the need to establish mechanisms on a national and international scale that will ensure that consumers trust the products they purchase. With transparent production processes, an approach that prioritizes human health, and fair and sustainable principles, the halal sector enables Muslims to live their lives in line with religious principles. With transparent production processes, high quality standards that prioritize human health and an approach based on sustainability, it enables access to reliable products and services in many areas from finance to food, from medicine to tourism. Today, the global halal economy is a dynamic and rapidly growing ecosystem that appeals to a wider consumer base day by day in terms of its scale and scope. "Look, the halal-certified cosmetics sector has a scale of over 80 billion dollars. The size of the halal tourism market is over 250 billion dollars. With the strong growth momentum it has achieved, the 2 trillion dollar global halal food market is expected to reach a volume of 5.3 trillion dollars in 2033. We are determined to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the halal economy and make our country a leading country in the global halal economy," he said.

'HALAL CERTIFICATION IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE'

Kacır, who stated that Turkey's role in the global halal economy is increasing day by day, said, "We are the 11th largest economy in the world and the 2nd largest among the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Our country has the ability to offer competitive products and services that will meet consumer expectations in different areas of the halal sector with its strong production and technology development infrastructure. Among the trade bridges we have built around the world under the leadership of our President, the ties we have established especially with Islamic countries are very valuable and strong for us. Of course, halal certification is of critical importance in order to create a healthy functioning halal economy volume. In this direction, we established the Halal Accreditation Agency (HAK), which is the only authority authorized to provide halal accreditation services in our country. We have taken important steps for the sustainable, continuous and standardized execution of products and services. Our leading institution in the fields of standardization and conformity assessment with its qualified human resources and advanced laboratory infrastructure, the Turkish Standards Institute, is also at the forefront in ensuring that our citizens have access to halal products and services. Our institute, which acts in coordination with the Presidency of Religious Affairs to ensure that consumers have access to products and services that are in line with their beliefs and values, has issued 572 halal conformity certificates to date. It is also the first institution in the world to be accredited to the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) standards in the fields of food, cosmetics, cleaning products and disinfectants, and tourism. The Biogenetics and Food Laboratory, which is the first laboratory in Turkey to receive a Halal Accreditation Certificate and is located in the Gebze campus of our institute, plays a leading role in halal product analysis in our country with its scientific and technological infrastructure," he said.

'TO MISGUIDE IS A GREAT DISGRACE'

The President of Religious Affairs, Ali Erbaş, said, "The development of technology and the complexity of production processes have led us to question the content of the food and products we consume. Today, it is certainly not possible for a consumer to be aware of all stages of food production. Therefore, both official institutions and civil organizations must carry out the halal certification process with care and a sense of responsibility. An important point to remember at this point is that these activities are a kind of witnessing duty. Therefore, providing misleading information and documents or misleading in halal certification processes is a great sin." (DHA)