Our historic and cultural heritage in Davos
The World Economic Forum (WEF) will be held in Davos from Jan. 20 to 23. There will be significant participation this year from Turkey at the Davos meetings, both from the business world and the world of politics.
On the other hand, Ali Babacan, the person we are used to seeing in Davos while holding several titles, including deputy prime minister, foreign minister, state minister in charge of economy and chief negotiator with the EU, will not be there this year.
Except for writer Elif Şafak, who is a person always sought for in panels, this year, maybe for the first time, Turkey is conducting an important initiative in the fields of our history and cultural heritage.
Going through a painful period in a painful region, it is a considerably pleasing development that Turkey is going to be mentioned.
The Doğus Group, a regular at Davos, will be promoting the Göbeklitepe temple complex, which dates back some 12,000 years, near southeastern Şanlıurfa.
The Doğuş Group will host a gala dinner for the Davos community for Göbeklitepe and a lunch in which UNESCO Director Irina Bokova will participate.
Göbeklitepe is on UNESCO’s Temporary World Heritage List and will definitely find a solid place on the world culture map thanks to Davos.
Prof. Mehmet Özdoğan from Istanbul University’s archeology department will lecture on Göbeklitepe during two separate sessions within the WEF.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will deliver a speech on “Turkey’s Global Role” in Davos, while Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek will participate in several sessions.
Şimşek will be in the same session as famous American economist Joseph Stiglitz.
The “refugee” issue, which is the hottest topic in the world because of the Syrian crisis, will be discussed under different themes almost every day in Davos. In one of the sessions, the founder and the boss of the famous U.S. yogurt brand Chobani, Hamdi Ulukaya, will speak on Syrian refugees. Ulukaya has donated $2 million to the UNHCR and the International Rescue Committee (IRC).
Ulukaya will share the same platform with the queen of Jordan, Queen Rania. Ulukaya’s fortune is estimated to be some $1.41 billion.
The main theme of this year’s Davos meetings is the “Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
According to WEF chief executive Klaus Schwab, who wrote a book with the same title, new technologies such as artificial intelligence, 3D and nanotechnology will totally change our lifestyles, working lives and relationships.
Is Turkey ready for the “Fourth Industrial Revolution?”
In my opinion, the answer to this question is quite vague at the moment, and I think the most precious asset we have is our historic and cultural heritage.