Yalçındağ: Turkey turns into crucial global player

GAZİANTEP - Doğan News Agency

Family Minister Fatma Şahin (L), Doğan TV chairwoman Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ (2nd L) and Economy Minister Çağlayan (2nd R) applaud during the ‘Tomorow in Anatolia’ meeting in Gaziantep yesterday.

Progressing and growing Turkey is becoming an important power in the world, Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ, the chairwoman of the Doğan TV, said yesterday at a meeting in southeastern province of Gaziantep.

Private broadcaster CNNTürk has restarted its “Tomorrow in Anatolia” meetings, which bring together key players from Turkey’s political and business circles.

Yalçındağ, a Doğan Holding board member also, said a country is as rich as its future potential and expressed her excitement for re-initiating the series of meetings in Gaziantep.

“These meetings kicked off in 2006 under the guidance of Mehmet Ali Yalçındağ, the chief executive of the time. We visited dozens of provinces [in Anatolia] and received very good feedback. We are very happy to start these meetings after a three-year hiatus,” she said.

The first “Tomorrow in Anatolia” meeting was be held in Gaziantep and feature Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin, Gaziantep Chamber of Industry head Adil Konukoğlu and Fiba Chairman Hüsnü Özyeğin.

Dynamics in Anatolia

Noting that the purpose of the meetings was to bring together people in various areas in Anatolia, she said: “Turkey is progressing, growing and becoming an important power in the world. This is a country with a very young population, half of which is under 29 years of age. We think that the country will develop further with its young population and the dynamics of Anatolia.”

The driving power to support the Turkish youth and reveal the true potential of the country lies in Anatolia, she said, adding that countries that could combine local culture, values and riches with global knowledge and resources were able to create value.

“We have set out in the belief that the power that will carry Turkey to the future and make a difference is in Anatolia. Gaziantep really has an influence on me with its culture, cultural heritage, entrepreneurship and diligence,” she said.

Gaziantep is the fourth biggest province in terms of its amount of exports, said Konukoğlu, adding that a total of 5,012 firms employed 180,000 people in the province. Gaziantep’s targets target for 2023, the 100th anniversary of the Republic, is $30 billion in exports and employment figures of 350,000.
Minister Çağlayan said such meetings showed the importance of Gaziantep. “Even the foreign press covers the level of development in Gaziantep. Now, Gaziantep is counted along with traditional industrial provinces like Adana and Kayseri,” he said.