Day 2 and Day 3

These two days passed by very quickly. In the morning we've had classes and in the afternoons, two trips to various Turkish organizations. Yesterday (Day 2), we visited a company affiliated with the Sabanci Group (one of the biggest conglomerates in Turkey -- see the home page at the link below and, mind you, the ever so kind sponsors here during our stay at the Sabanci University) that makes polyester and nylon fibers which are used in -- get this -- tires!

Apparently amidst all the steel and the rubber used in tires, there are durable fibers that need to allow the tire some flexible while it's out on the road. You never notice this sort of thing, but I mean, how many of us pull apart tires to see what's inside?

As it was a guided visit, they took our passports and asked us not to use our mobile phones and digital cameras during the tour (and of course being dutiful French citizens we all complied.) Originally a joint venture with American chemical company DuPont the group now manufactures chemical-based products for the Big 5 major tire manufacturers among which number Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone and so on ....

Today (Day 3) we visited a small/medium-size enterprise support organization, KOGSEB (http://www.kosgeb.gov.tr/) which extends loans to local manufacturing companies and which also helps them find channels with which to export their goods. They also help these companies advertise their goods on the web through a sort of online bazaar where interested parties can see what the sell and how to contact the distributor.

However, these trips were one hour from the school in either direction and after both of these all of us were just so tired! Even though we're not doing a lot of work physically, spenidng a lot of time in the bus does take its toll after a while.

In the school we have guest lectures by academics and businessmen and they are really quite interesting. Yesterday was a discussion about Turkey's economic performance, which is comparable to or even better than some of the other members of the EU. Today was the perspective from a Turkish citizen who emigrated to the US, hit the hight-tech boom in the early 80s and 90s and who has now returned to Turkey to be an "angel investor," or a venture capitalist (VC) who takes an interest in fledgling companies not only financially but also with the intent of sharing his or her expertise gained from years of experience in that particular field or industry. Heady stuff, and encouraging to hear that Turkish expatriates remain optimistic about their country's future. And plus, while everybody's attention is fixated on the Far East, this remains, in the words of the VC, "one of the better kept secrets." Of course investing in Turkey is not without its risks but I've come away after these few days with a certain optimism about its future place in the European Union whether politically or economically.

More telling than anything is the Turks' own bewilderment that they are seen as non-Europeans. At least in Istanbul the feeling is just as it might be in Eastern Europe ... and much cleaner than France ..!

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LINK:

Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Promotion -- KOSGEB
http://www.kosgeb.gov.tr/
(only in Turkish)

The Sabanci group of companies -- they have everything!
http://www.sabanci.com/En/grup_baskanliklari.asp