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.