18.10.2018 Mersin
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu spoke on the importance of entrepreneurship at the workshop attended by TRNC Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman. Speaking at the Leadership Academy and Strategy Workshop, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu underlined the need to bring new habits to the old village and emphasized that entrepreneurship is the only way to prosper. Hisarcıklıoğlu also stated that Silifke should transform its values and potential into economy and profit.
The
Leadership Academy and Strategy Workshop hosted by the Silifke Chamber of
Commerce and Industry was held with the attendances of TOBB President M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Tufan
Erhürman and their wives, Mersin Governor Ali İhsan Su, AK Party Deputy
Chairman Lütfi Elvan, Silifke Chamber of Commerce and Industry President
Nurettin Kaynar, President of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Commerce Turgay
Deniz, Rector of Mersin University Dr. Ahmet Çamsarı and many guests.
Called
to address the hall after the protocol speeches, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu
congratulated the Silifke Chamber of Commerce and Industry for its vision.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said while celebrating Silifke yoghurt and for the registration efforts
on strawberries, “Our Chamber has accomplished a first in Turkey and did not
stop there. They founded the Silifke Economic Cooperation Council. Thus, they
aim to make Silifke into a brand. Likewisse the Silifke strawberry, renowned
throughout the world, not just Turkey. But recognition is not enough. We need
to protect it and turn it into more. That's why our chamber is working to get a
geographical marker for the Silifke strawberries. With a long history of 110
years, this is an endeavor worthy of our Silifke CCI. I am proud of all these
visionary works by the Silifke Chamber of Commerce and Industry and I
congratulate our President, his administration, his council and his colleagues.
There is something else here that makes me very happy. Everybody does their
part for this organization. I would like to thank Mersin CCI, Mersin CMC,
Mersin University, TOBB ETU and the governor for their support. It is very
important that our Chambers and Commodity Exchanges have close relations with
TOBB ETU. Remember, this is yours - the university of the Turkish business
community.”
- Silifke acts as a bridge
Pointing
out that Silifke is a bridge connecting Cyprus, the Mediterranean and Anatolia,
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that there is great potential for industry, agriculture,
livestock and tourism in Silifke. The TOBB President reported that, thanks to Silifke’s
plains and greenhouses, there are 3 harvests per year, “Everything grows but most
importantly strawberries and lemons. Last time, we opened the new service
building of our Chamber. At that time, I said that the physical capacity is fine
but now it will be necessary to increase the service capacity and quality. Our chamber
immediately moved to become an accredited chamber. Now it offers you 5-star
service. Silifke CCI makes our community proud with its visionary work. SİTSO
Academy is the best example of this. Leadership Academy and Strategy Workshop
was also worthy of Silifke.”
Stating
that he visits every inch of Anatolia every year, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu
said, “Everyone is talking politics in Turkey. They even think of me as
politicians in Anatolia. People think politician when you say leader. Everyone’s
obsessed with being president. One in six is president. In my eyes, every
entrepreneur is a leader.”
- The path to wealth is
entrepreneurship
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that the path to prosperity is through trade. He stated that it was
observed in a foreign study in 1912 that Turkish people tend towards being
civil servants or officers rather than entrepreneurs. The TOBB President stated
that after World War II, Germany and Japan recovered thanks to the rise of the entrepreneur
middle class and that today, the world's 20 richest countries are the 20 most
entrepreneurial countries.
Stating
that real capital is not money, but invention in this age, Hisarcıklıoğlu said,
“We raised our children to not invent. It is imperative to do the job in a way
that no one does. Those who cannot renew themselves lose.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
gave examples of Nokia, Facebook, Uber, Alibaba.com and Tüpraş on
entrepreneurship.
- No dreams without direction
Stating
that no wind can help a directionless ship, Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized the
importance of goals and dreams. Describing the contributions of Turgut Özal to
entrepreneurship in Turkey, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The late Özal gave us a target.
10 million tourists will come to Turkey, he said. 300,000 tourists were visiting
Turkey at the time. They made fun of him. But today there are 35 million
tourists. We are in the top 10.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
said, “It is not possible to reach the target of dreams without tears. A
Turkish proverb says, ‘To be a sharp knife you need to be hammered relentlessly.
Sweat will flow. We will work hard to succeed! I would like to share my own
principles: Don’t save on work; save on spending. The trick is honesty. Control
first, trust after. Trusting in memory is a surefire way to be mistaken. There
is no make-do in business; no team without a leader; birds fly with their
flocks.”
- Victory is possible through never
giving up
Stating
that the essence of entrepreneurship is being bold, Hisarcıklıoğlu gave the
example of Google. Before Google, 20 search engines were tried, but only the 21st
was successful; Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized the importance of not giving up. The TOBB
President said, “The owner of Angry Birds made 50 unsuccessful games before
this game. So the only way to increase the chances of winning is to try more. It
is perseverance. So in a nutshell: Never give up your confidence and your
dreams.”
Stating
that one should nevere lose hope at the workshop, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The
potential of this country is huge. We’ve come so far in 95 years. Think of a
country: No bread. Fresh out of the war. Missed the industrial revolution. No
capital, no machinery to produce, no trained work force. Not even a tractor to
process the soil; no people who speak foreign languages. But what did they have?
A great determination. When we get together, we win. We can't alienate aynone.
If we exclude people for their opinions, we lose. This country needs every
mind. We will stand as one and be united. We'll walk together into the future.
And we will win. I believe that.”
- TRNC Prime Minister Tufan
Erhürman
Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman pointed out
the importance of vision and purpose in his speech and stated that the effect
of the strategy will be seen if these two are set. Erhürman stated that their
fundamental vision is the existence and further development of the people. “The
social and economic development of our people is our most important existential
struggle. If you cannot achieve economic presence, your existence is at risk.
While protecting the rights of our people, it is obvious that we need to
provide economic and social development of our people as well. Political
equality is indispensable. We want to solve the Cyprus problem with a fair and
permanent formula.”
- Other speakers
In
his speech, Chairman of Silifke CCI Nurettin Kaynar emphasized the brand city
potential of the district and mentioned that they are at the forefront in terms
of recognition. Kaynar stating that Silifke is a city of tourism, agriculture
and export, reported that the Silifke yoghurt and strawberries will receive
their geographical markers soon.
Turgay
Deniz, President of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Commerce, stated that it is
one of the most important issues of the era to develop strategy and lead. He said
that he found efforts to bring scientists and the business community together to
be very valuable. Stating that the trade between Turkey and the TRNC should be
quota-free and unlimited, Deniz voiced the need for plans and programs to
achieve this goal.