İSKUR Textile Signs a Historic Strategic Collaboration Agreement

İSKUR Textile Signs a Historic Strategic Collaboration Agreement

One of the leading companies in the Turkish textile industry, İSKUR Tekstil signed a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Beyond Bar Code and USB Certification during the Belgian Economic Mission held in Istanbul, attended by Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of Belgium and senior ministerial representatives from both countries. The agreement, regarded as a milestone that strengthens the strategic position of the Turkish textile industry within the framework of the European Green Deal and Digital Product Passport (DPP) processes, was signed by Vice Chairman of the Board of İSKUR Tekstil, İsmail Kurtul, who stated: “This step is a concrete indication that Türkiye–Belgium trade is entering a new era shaped by industry and technology.”

 

Since 2012, the Belgian Economic Mission has been organized annually in Türkiye; however, this year’s mission was held in Istanbul on an unprecedented scale, with high-level ministerial participation from both Türkiye and Belgium. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), considered a significant step in the Turkish textile sector’s alignment with the European Green Deal and European Union regulations, was signed at Swissôtel The Bosphorus. The trilateral collaboration established during the official signing ceremony between Beyond Bar Code (BBCo), USB Certification — one of Türkiye’s leading approved certification bodies — and İSKUR Tekstil encompasses digital product passports, traceability, circular economy practices, and compliance with EU legislation. Within the framework of the agreement, İSKUR Tekstil’s manufacturing scale and sustainability infrastructure are being integrated with Beyond Bar Code’s digital traceability architecture and USB Certification’s internationally accredited certification expertise under a unified strategic vision. In this context, the parties aim to develop an end-to-end service model that will facilitate seamless and compliant access for Turkish manufacturers to the EU market.

 

“A Concrete Indicator of a New Era in Türkiye–Belgium Trade Shaped by Industry and Technology”

 

Following the signing ceremony, evaluations were shared by Vice Chairman of the Board of İSKUR Tekstil, İsmail Kurtul, alongside Beyond Bar Code Founder and CEO Suna Akbayır, USB Certification Founder and CEO Nesrin Serin, and Technical & Assurance Director Emre Metin. Commenting on the collaboration, İsmail Kurtul emphasized that the European Union’s green and digital transformation agenda represents far more than a regulatory obligation for the Turkish textile industry; rather, it constitutes a historic opportunity for technological leadership.

 

Kurtul stated:

 

“As İSKUR Tekstil, by combining our long-standing investments in digitalization and sustainability with Beyond Bar Code’s traceability technology and USB Certification’s internationally accredited certification expertise, we are already securing the competitiveness of Turkish manufacturers in the European market for the Digital Product Passport era. This step, taken with the highest-level participation from both countries, is a concrete indication that Türkiye–Belgium trade is entering a new era shaped by industry and technology.”

 

While the collaboration is expected to contribute not only to İSKUR Tekstil’s own transformation process but also to the broader sustainability and digital transformation journey of the Turkish textile industry, it was further emphasized that İSKUR Tekstil will play an active role in extending the developed model across the wider Turkish textile ecosystem, beyond accelerating the transformation of its own production operations.