The most prestigious design project of Turkey, Design Turkey Industrial Design Awards has been launched at a press meeting held on May 30, 2008 at the Foreign Trade Complex hosted by Minister of State Mr. Kürşat Tüzmen.

Besides the Executive Board members of the Design Turkey Awards, many bureaucrats, respectable designres have also participated to the meeting.

Minister of State Mr. Tüzmen mentioned the importance of design including efficient manufacturing methods and market specifications in order to sustain international success. Mr. Tüzmen also emphasized the importance of having the country's own designers. For raising awareness on industrial design by all sectors, and for spreading design culture "Design Turkey Industrial Design Awards" will help very much. Mr. Tüzmen added that "Design support programs, in order to support designers directly will commence soon with the determination of implementation qualifications by the Undersecretariet for Foeign Trade".

President of Turkish Exporters Assembly, Mr Oğuz Satıcı stated that they have started design targeted studies for 15 years, with Undersecretariate for Foreign Trade and Exporter Unions, and especially for the last 7 years the consistency of designer and industrialist relationship is getting stronger. This relationship has opened up a path for this new project in Turkey.

Undersectretariate for Foreign Trade, Director General of Export and Chairman of TURQUALITY® Study Group Mr. Ziya Altunyaldız, stated that to have power in the global arena can be obtained through creating brands with aspects such as innovation, high added value and adding new features to human life. Mr. Altunyaldız added that the key point of this process is design.

The president of Industrial Designers Soceity of Turkey (ETMK), Ms. Gülay Hasdoğan stated that in Turkey there is a strong manufacturing infrastructure, investment on technology and qualified production can transform into added value only with the use value that industrial design adds to the product. She also said that industrial design is a tool for the product to announce itself to the correct target group, the product to answer the correct need the best it can and to create differenciation in the market. Ms. Gülay Hasdoğan added that ETMK is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and has honour to be an initiator party in such a project that brings the state, industry and designers for the first time in Turkey.