Furnishings & Design Istanbul (FDI) is set to open its doors at Istanbul Expo Center on September 25-27, 2025, showcasing innovative, original, and inspiring solutions for interior design, from furniture and lighting to home textiles and accessories. Organized by the Federation of Furniture Associations (MOSFED) and distinguished as Türkiye's first design-focused fair, the FDI 2025 promotional event was held at Istanbul Modern.

Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye: "I believe that our furniture sector, which increases added value in exports, brings design and production together, and proudly carries Türkiye's name in global markets, will once again demonstrate its strength and vision with FDI."

Mustafa Gültepe, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM): "The more we master design, the more we will strengthen our brand awareness."

Ahmet Güleç, President of the Federation of Furniture Associations (MOSFED): "FDI is not just a fair! It is a structure that brings together all components of the interior ecosystem, primarily the furniture sector, on the same platform. Here, not only are products exhibited; visions, ideas, and collaborations meet and grow."

The Turkish furniture sector is increasingly prominent on the international stage, not only for its steady growth in production and exports but also for its strong design vision. Furnishings & Design Istanbul (FDI), one of the most important meeting points for this vision, is preparing to bring together the sector's newest and most inspiring designs with horizon-opening conversations in its second year. The promotional meeting for FDI, which will open its doors at Istanbul Expo Center on September 25-27, 2025, was hosted by MOSFED President Ahmet Güleç. The meeting featured speeches by Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, Volkan Ağar, Deputy Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, and TİM President Mustafa Gültepe.

Design is a powerful tool

The promotional meeting for the fair, held under the main sponsorship of Yıldız Entegre and Kale Bodur, took place at Istanbul Modern. MOSFED President Ahmet Güleç stated that design is not a goal but a powerful tool when used correctly: "Design is a powerful competitive tool. The primary expectation of all interior production areas, especially the furniture sector, from design is primarily an increase in sales—including exports—through originality, creativity, innovation, and novelty. However, this alone is not sufficient. An increase in profitability must accompany it. While achieving these two commercial goals, design should aim to minimize the ecological and social cost of the production and consumption chain. Ultimately, by realizing these three points, design should support sustainable branding. Manufacturers and the design sector are interdependent. Our fates are tied. We will either grow together or shrink together. If we can succeed in furniture and all interior production areas, this will create a leverage effect. In other words, the development of design capabilities and talents in industry will create a multiplier effect in the country's economy that transcends sectoral boundaries. With this vision, MOSFED has undertaken a significant responsibility. Furnishings & Design Istanbul (FDI) is the concrete manifestation of this understanding."

A structure that brings together visions, ideas, and collaborations

Güleç emphasized that Furnishings & Design Istanbul (FDI) is not just a fair but a structure that unites all components of the interior ecosystem, led by the furniture sector, on a single platform: "Here, not only products are exhibited; visions, ideas, and collaborations meet and evolve. After a long preparation process, we held the first FDI meeting last year. With the motivation of the first year and the pride of creating the desired impact, we aimed higher this year. We expanded our fair area from 5,000 square meters to 12,000 square meters, including the foyer. 100 of our brands will exhibit products. Under the roof of FDI, products from brands that work with designers and develop new products and designs will be exhibited. Furthermore, we will have FDI Talks sessions throughout the 3 days. These sessions will cover many topics, including sustainability, innovation, the value created by design, competition strategies, and the impact of the green transformation on the furniture sector. We will have foreign speakers from Germany, Belgium, and Italy. 70 experts, each a leader in their field, will speak in these panels. We will have exhibition areas that we value highly and have carefully prepared. Our brands' innovative products will be featured in our Design Circle exhibition area. In our 'New Horizon Exhibition' areas, created with the valuable support of Enta, products from young, talented, creative designers seeking to introduce themselves to the sector will be displayed. We increased the number of exhibitions to eight. Exhibitions developed with the support of the private sector, university exhibitions, and a 50th Anniversary exhibition will be waiting for our visitors."

Offers major opportunities for global competition

Prof. Dr. Ömer Bolat, Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, stated that the furniture sector continues to be a source of pride as one of Türkiye's most established and rapidly growing sectors: "We all have a share in this great success—our design skills, our hard work. Every piece of furniture in our sector contains the labor of skilled hands, years of experience, and our belief in innovation. Our furniture sector is labor-intensive, providing employment to around 245,000 people. Therefore, all our successes in the sector are a collective achievement, from our masters to our exporters. Our furniture sector has maintained its position as a net exporter for the last 20 years, providing significant added value to our economy through the final products it manufactures." Minister Bolat noted that among the most needed areas for the sector are R&D, innovation, design, and building brand consciousness: "I believe that all producers, industrialists, and exporters serving the sector—from raw material producers to designers—who aim to promote Turkish furniture worldwide must work in unity and solidarity to make our country a center of attraction in furniture. Besides increasing our country's modular furniture production capacity, the key elements for gaining superiority in this highly competitive environment are 'differentiating' by producing 'design-oriented,' 'original,' and 'value-added' products. Our furniture sector makes strong contributions to our economy as one of the sectors where Türkiye is a net exporter, while also standing out globally with its design, innovation, and sustainable production approach. In this regard, we know that these organizations, which offer great opportunities to solidify the position of the Turkish furniture and design sector in global competition, are an important platform reflecting our sector's strength and vision on the international stage."

The first fair to place design at its center

Mustafa Gültepe, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), emphasized that there are specific criteria for success in global trade: "Sustainable success has certain criteria. What are they? High technology, R&D, innovation, branding, digitalization, green production, and of course, design. To secure a sustainable place in the market, we must place design at the center of our business processes. At the same time, we must use design as a lever to increase added value. Design increases awareness because it gets noticed. It strengthens the perception of quality because innovative and aesthetic products are memorable. It reinforces loyalty because the user repeatedly chooses an aesthetic they identify with. And the right design language creates strong associations identified with the brand." Gültepe noted that the furniture sector has made significant progress in design, branding, and expanding abroad over the past 25 years: "We export to over 200 countries. We are one of the few countries that has a foreign trade surplus in this sector. Our wide market diversity makes us more resilient to regional and global crises. In the coming period, we need to focus even more on the design multiplier to increase the value per kilogram in exports. Because we have an ambitious goal of moving Türkiye into the top 10 countries in exports in the long term. At this point, 'Furnishings & Design Istanbul,' which is the first fair in our country and nearby geography to place design at its center, plays a crucial role in achieving this goal."

To inspire with a wide range of content

This year's FDI will inspire its visitors with a broad spectrum of content ranging from sustainability and innovation to design and production models. In the FDI Talks sessions, expert speakers will provide in-depth assessments on design, innovation, sustainability, and the future of the sector. In curatorial areas like Design Circle and New Horizon Exhibition, works by designers from different disciplines will be exhibited; thus, design will be opened for discussion not only as an aesthetic element but also as an intellectual ground. The fair will also feature a special exhibition area narrating the historical journey of one of Türkiye's significant brands celebrating its 50th year in the profession. Additionally, products and concepts designed exclusively for FDI and produced by brands, which cannot be seen anywhere else, will meet the visitors.

Originality highlighted through the Design Committee

One of the strongest building blocks of FDI is its Design Committee, composed of respected figures in the field. Bringing together Türkiye's leading designers, architects, interior architects, and academics, this committee bases the selection of all products to be exhibited at the fair on the criteria of "originality" and "working with a designer." Chaired by Prof. Dr. Alpay Er, Head of the Industrial Design Department at Özyeğin University, the committee includes Interior Architect and Designer Ahmet Raşit Karaaslan, Architect Aynur Yılmaz, Senior Interior Architect Cem Cemal Çobanoğlu, Strategic Communication Consultant Cengiz Ayyıldız, Industrial Designer and Interior Architect Ece Yalım, Designer-Curator-Educator Erdem Akan, and Industrial Designer Şule Koç.