As in the previous years, Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group has carried out various activities to promote the Turkish ceramics during CERSAIE 2011 (International Exhibition of Ceramic Tiles and Bathroom Furnishings), held between the dates 20-24 September 2011 in Bologna/Italy. 19 Turkish ceramics companies participated as exhibitors in CERSAIE 2011.

With the aim of raising the awareness of the concert organized by Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group, a press conference is held on 21st September in Piazza Maggiore. In the press conference headed by Bahadır KAYAN, the President of the Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group, the general overview of Turkish ceramics sector industry, the growth in Turkish ceramics exportation, the recent trends in the sector and also the events of Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group were emphasized by the means of a presentation.

On September 21st, Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group has offered a musical entertainment to the city of Bologna. Having presented “Hüsnü Şenlendirici Ensemble” last year at Cersaie, “Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group” displayed another show with ‘Burhan Öçal and Trakya All Stars’ band this year.  Burhan Öçal, recognized as a worldwide virtuosic percussionist, has made the bridging of musical cultures his central mission. After his first contact with Western music, he became interested in combining other genres and cultural traditions, such as jazz and Western classical music, with his own. Having performed several concerts across the globe, master percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Burhan Öçal comes back home for the “most personal” project of his life: Trakya All Stars. This is a highly special project where Öçal collaborates with master musicians from Thrace region, paying tribute to the musical heritage of his birthplace, Kırklareli Turkey and well known across the Balkan region. Öçal summarizes his responsibility: “The essential core of these traditions has been preserved over the centuries like precious stones. Now we have to take advantage of the limitless possibilities of digital technology to present their true spirit to today’s listeners so that they can continue for generations ahead.

While Burhan Öçal is undertaking the responsibility of promoting this traditional Thrace music, Turkishceramics aims to promote Turkish ceramic knowhow which is inherited through adding up different techniques and developed by different civilizations over 8000 years. By taking the advantages of being ‘the land of ceramics’ and investing on new technologies, Turkish ceramic companies achieve special projects all over the world, including Paris and Barcelona Subway renovations. In addition to these global achievements, the statistics show that Turkish ceramic industry continues to increase its exports and market share in 2010. When compared to 2009, tile exportation of Turkey rose to 460 million dollars in 2010. According to the 2010 statistics in value terms, Turkey’s exportation of sanitary ware products reached to 160 million dollars.

Below companies participated to Cersaie 2011

AKGÜN Ceramics, BIEN Ceramics,KALE, Kalebodur, Kalevit, EGE Ceramics - Sanitaryware, GRANISER Ceramics, GÜRAL Sanitaryware, HİTİT Ceramics, KÜTAHYA Ceramics, SERAMİKSAN, SERANIT, SERAPOOL, SÖĞÜTSEN Ceramics, TERMAL Ceramics, UŞAK Ceramics, VITRA – VITRA Tiles