ISTANBUL

Chairman of Karanfil Group and head of the Foreign Economic Relations Board’s Türkiye-Libya Business Council Murtaza Karanfil on Saturday met university students at the “Introduction to Entrepreneurship” event to share insights from his decades-long career in international trade.

The event, which drew strong interest from students, was held at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University (BAIBU) and co-hosted by the university’s International Relations Society and Entrepreneurs’ Society.

Karanfil, who has more than 35 years of experience in global commerce, offered personal anecdotes and advice aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Young people often doubt themselves and think, ‘We can’t do it, others are more advanced’,” Karanfil said during the event.

“But we can do it, we are capable. Do not forget that it was the Turks who helped rebuild Germany after the 1940s. A nation that helped revive another can surely develop its own country.”

Responding to a question about how to succeed, Karanfil emphasized that young people should compete with themselves, not with others. He recounted his early days in the 1980s working with Libyan clients in Istanbul’s Laleli district and detailed his transition from worker to business owner.

“I worked as an employee until 1995, gaining experience. Then I founded Ahkam Tekstil and began production,” he said. “With my first earnings, I produced 82 suits, which quickly rose to 124. In 1999, I began exporting to Libya. What started with three packages became a full cargo plane within six months.”

Karanfil also underlined Libya’s strategic significance, noting its access not only to North Africa but to a broader region of 1.5 billion people.

“Libya is a key gateway to Africa and offers the shortest maritime route between Türkiye and Europe,” he said. “With its ports and integrated road and air transport infrastructure, the country provides direct access to 53 African nations, making it an increasingly attractive global hub.”

He added that trade volume between Türkiye and Libya has surged from $96 million in the early 2000s to about $2.5 billion today, with a future potential reaching $15 billion.