EGİAD proposed that İzmir become the pilot province in economic security

The Aegean Young Businessmen's Association (EGİAD) has proposed making İzmir a pilot province for economic security, citing its new Aegean Region Economic Security Analysis report, which found that $10.9 billion of imports across 312 product categories carry high vulnerability. EGİAD President Kaan Özhelvacı called for an economic security map to be prepared for İzmir, arguing the city's export and import profile makes it a suitable test case for reducing supply-chain exposure. The finding matters because it quantifies how much of the region's import bill rests on concentrated or hard-to-substitute sources, a risk that could disrupt production if trade flows shift. Watch for whether national and local authorities endorse the pilot and commission the proposed mapping exercise, and for any follow-up identifying which of the 312 products should be localized or diversified first.