TSB President Candidate Murat Büyükçelebi: Whatever the outcome, I hope it will benefit and strengthen our insurance industry

Murat Büyükçelebi, candidate for President of the Insurance Association of Turkey and Chairman of the Board of Directors of AcnTURK Sigorta, made a statement to the press ahead of the elections on September 14.

Büyükçelebi's statement is as follows;

"In today's rapidly developing and changing world, the importance and role of our sector has become more valuable. On the other hand, there are many problems that have been waiting to be solved for a long time and this situation inevitably creates a problem of reputation and trust.

It would be fair to say that pricing problems in traffic insurance, motor insurance and health insurance in terms of image in the eyes of the customer and meeting similar needs are the most important of these problems.

At this point, I believe that the task of protecting the reputation and reliability of our sector lies with the senior executives of all insurance companies. I firmly believe that we can move forward not only with the help of a few individuals, but also with unity and common sense, and it is precisely at this point that the most important point is to accept to see the existing problems and then to say "I'm in!" to solve them.

With nearly 28 years of experience in insurance and 15 years of NGO experience, with the value of my years of cooperation with all authorized institutions including the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, with the importance I attach to the present and future of our insurance sector, and with my concerns for the future, I say "I'm in!".

On September 14th, while running for the presidency of the Association of Insurance, Reinsurance and Pension Companies of Turkey (TSB), my years of observation and experience have united with the necessity of taking responsibility with common sense, cooperation and the support of all sector stakeholders.

In addition to the problems experienced within the sector, TSB should also focus on its own structural problems, move away from being a symbolic signboard institution, prepare for tomorrow with the actions it will take with its reputable identity, solve all problems with the power of being the largest institution of the sector in accordance with its mission and vision, focus on promotion and awareness raising, increase the insurance coverage rate and bring the sector to the place it deserves.

I would like to emphasize that our first duty as insurers is to listen to the needs of citizens in this field and offer constructive solutions. In the current challenging economic environment, it is obvious that each innovative step we take will provide benefits and efficiency in many ways.

To summarize; we have a lot of work to do if we want to see a stronger sector in the future, if we want a future that is more innovative and able to keep up with the times, and if we want an even more secure future with the impact of technology. I would like to take this opportunity to share with all my colleagues that I am very excited and wholeheartedly ready for all actions to be taken in order to benefit the lives of our citizens and to strengthen the reputation and activities of our sector.

Whatever the outcome, I hope that it will benefit and strengthen our insurance industry."