28.03.2015

Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) Vice President Nazım Özdemir said, "If there is no serious motivation in a country in terms of information technologies then unfortunately it is not possible to reconstruct that country ".

MÜSİAD Information Technologies Sector Board organized a panel titled ‘The systematics of growth: the Role of Information Technologies ‘Informatics in Anatolia’ at the Atatürk University Culture Center. The panel caused considerable interest and was attended by MÜSİAD Vice President Nazım Özdemir, MÜSİAD Erzurum Branch Director Taner Bayır, Erzurum Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Eyüp Tavlaşoğlu, Atatürk University (AÜ) Deputy Rector Prof.Dr. Mehmet Takkaç, Erzurum Technical University (ETÜ) Rector Prof.Dr.Muammer Yaylalı, MÜSİAD Sector Boards and Business Development Commission 4th Information Technologies Sector Board Director Bekir Sami Nalbantoğlu, MÜSİAD Printing, Publishing and Media Sector Board director Şevket Aksoy, MÜSİAD Service Sector Board Director Sertip Akşahin, MÜSİAD Erzurum Sector Boards and Business Development Commission Director Cevdet Yeşilyurt, MÜSİAD Mardin Sector Boards and Business Development Commission Director Ercan Erbek, MÜSİAD Batman Sector Boards and Business Development Commission Director Umut Doğu Ekmen, MÜSİAD Trabzon Sector Boards and Business Development Commission Director Zafer Ofluoğlu, Associations Province Director Feyzullah Kılıç, Agricultural Research Institute director Şerafettin Şerafettin Çakal, Erzurum Civil Society Platform Director Mustafa Güvenli, Director of Entrepreneurial Women’s Association Zekiye Çomaklı in addition to students of Atatürk University.

MÜSİAD Vice President Nazım Özdemir spoke at the MÜSİAD Information Technologies Sector Board organized a panel titled ‘The systematics of growth: the Role of Information Technologies ‘Informatics in Anatolia’ at the Atatürk University Culture Center indicated that although he had graduated from the Middle East Technical University Physics Department he was involved in computers.

‘MÜSİAD Introduced Anatolian Businessmen to the world’

Özdemir spoke about the establishment date of MÜSİAD saying that when MÜSİAD was established there were no other civil society organizations representing the business world other than TÜSİAD. Özdemir said, “In particular there was no community of businessmen who could represent Anatolian businessmen and open Anatolia to the external world. TÜSİAD was a business association more involved in Group Leader Mehmet Ünal, MÜSİAD the capital of Istanbul established major financiers. Certainly they have made great contributions to our country but MÜSİAD was instrumental in introducing Anatolian businessmen to the world ".

Özdemir said that MÜSİAD was represented with 11 thousand members in the world in 72 countries at 170 points and that there were 85 offices in Turkey and emphasized that MÜSİAD provided employment to 20 percent of the economy of Turkey.

‘MÜSİAD put the Concept of the Middle Income Trap on the Agenda of Turkey’

Özdemir indicated that MÜSİAD had put the often mentioned ‘middle income trap’ on the agenda of Turkey in 2011 and said, ”In 2002 the economy of Turkey had an economic magnitude of 250 billion dollars which reached three fold in 2008-2010. This point was reached as a result of the applied financial discipline. In terms of product development that would ensure the development and growth of a country there were no significant developments regarding high technology products. Until the 1980's in terms of development and per capita national income South Korea was stronger than our country but today their country has achieve a per capita income which is almost 2,5-3 times our per capita income. The reason is that while Turkey has had to lose time with coups and internal conflicts they have been able to develop products which can compete in the world. Turkey was able to establish stability in 2002 and triple the national income. Turkey must develop high quality products in order to avoid getting mired in the ‘middle income trap’.”

‘The Way to Develop High Quality Products is through Information Technologies’

Özdemir reminded that information technologies are the corner stone of developing high quality projects and said, "A United States without a silicon valley is unimaginable. Almost all of the top ten companies in the world are information technology companies. The value of Apple is almost more than that of General motors, Epson. Although their turnover is much less they value in the world is huge. If there is no serious motivation in a country in terms of information technologies then unfortunately it is not possible to reconstruct that country".

‘We Need Information and Technology to Sustain our Entities’ MÜSİAD Erzurum Branch Director Taner Bayır indicated that informatics was defined as using information and technology and said, "There are various aspects to informatics. They can be classified as computer software, computer hardware, computer users and information society. In the world of informatics computer software is organized according to the needs of people. We need to use information and technology to sustain our entities ".

MÜSİAD Information Technologies Sector Board Deputy Director Mustafa Kamil Sağıroğlu made a presentation at the panel session titled "Information Technologies " and said that MÜSİAD had adopted the principle of ‘continuous improvement’ and that they had a dynamic, highly self confident and a solution- oriented structure.

‘State Support to Information Technologies has increased in our Country in Recent Years’

According to Sağıroğlu the state had enacted more laws, initiatives and supports in terms of information technologies in our country in recent years compared to previous years and said, “Finally the continuation of the development was targeted with the 2015-2018 Information Society Strategy and Action Plan. Many projects have been realized within the scope of E-State and the FATIH project has ensured a significant initiative in education. In addition to the state the private sector has also made investments in information technologies. The usage ratio of E-banking in Turkey is higher than in Europe which is an indicator of this. The fiber networks continue to increase in terms of infrastructure and wide band internet with 4G connection investments will access all areas in our country. Laws have been enacted regarding venture capital which plays an important part in the development of technology, initiatives and regulations have been issued regarding informal investing. These and many other developments are promising for the sector”.

‘The Cost of Living in Anatolia is Less compared to the West’

Sağıroğlu indicated that the companies manufacturing technology in the US and Europe had shifted their service sectors to the east to downscale costs and said, “The call center investments in Erzurum, our current location was established with the same objective. The living costs index of an individual in Anatolia is less compared to the west. Production such as agriculture and animal husbandry lose added value due to logistics costs in exterritorial appraisals. Products developed in the informatics area have very low logistics and positioning costs, it is possible to market the developed products to the world over the internet”.

‘Information Technologies are the Locomotive of Development’

Sağıroğlu emphasized that information technologies were the locomotives in the development of countries and companies and continued his speech by saying:

“In terms of the development of the sector in our country, Anatolia with all the potential and opportunities it holds is a candidate to be the locomotive of the sector. Within this context our sector board gives priority to the subjects of Anatolia, Finance and Education in 2015. The format of doing business is redesigned with the development in technology. This situation will be an opportunity for those who capture technology and a serious threat for those who miss out. MUSIAD has made a target of research/development/awareness and social studies which will have role in the development of our country for itself not only with the reflex of a businessman but because the information technologies sector is strategic.”

Erzurum Technical University Deputy Rector Prof. Dr. İrfan Kaymaz made a speech at the panel session and talked about the establishment phase of Erzurum Technical University. Kaymaz talked about the development of Information Technologies in the universities of Turkey and said, “This is a sad story in terms of the universities of the world. If we look at the people who have become household names in the area of Information Technologies we can see that the contribution of universities has been negative. Names such as Bill Gates, Michael Dell dropped out of university, it is a good thing that the founders of Google have been educated in the discipline, have doctorals to their name which proves that education has given them something. The important thing is to establish an atmosphere and that is something universities are good at. When we talked to an officer in a company in the silicon valley of the US this officer indicated that the place was no different from a university, new ideas and projects were talked about in every corner, every café, every table. Nobody is afraid that their ideas will be stolen, the waiters here all about the ideas and they cannot establish companies, it is unheard of. This is where the importance of education steps in. Unfortunately there are some problems at the education phase in Turkey. I graduated as a mechanical engineer and did my postgraduate and doctoral studies also in this discipline. I started to get involved in this business when I was abroad. When I returned to Turkey I gave lectures on computer programming. The programming languages are not available in Turkey, the languages that the teachers are familiar with are taught, trends are of secondary importance. This is a handicap. If renovation is necessary then we must criticize ourselves before we criticize others”.

‘Atatürk University is a Candidate to be a Data Center’

The Director of Computer Sciences Research and Application Center (ATABAUM) Prof. Dr. Muhammet Dursun Kaya provided information about the informatics process at Atatürk University. Kaya underlined that the statement of former Minister of Transport Lütfü Elvan in terms of, “We are going to turn Erzurum in the data center of Turkey” is very important for Turkey and continued to say that, “ As Atatürk University we have the standards and full infrastructure to be a data center. If we become the data center we will have the capacity to execute very beneficial works for the East Anatolian Region and all Turkey. Our rector Hikmet Bey has provided the necessary information and made applications to the Ministry of Transport”.

‘7 Students shall be hosted by MÜSİAD’

At the end of the panel titled ‘The systematics of growth: the Role of Information Technologies ‘Informatics in Anatolia’ at the Atatürk University Culture organized by MÜSİAD Information Technologies Sector Board a Center a lottery was drawn among the students who had attended the panel and 5 students were selected to spend a week in Istanbul as the guests of MÜSİAD. The students of Atatürk University will visit large information technology companies in Istanbul during the technical visit arranged by MÜSİAD and receive information about the latest technologies. At the conclusion of the program the participants in the panel session were awarded with sapling certificates and a commemorative picture was taken.