TÜSİAD’s Cizre meeting at Red Madrasa

The attention of the economy world today will be focused on the Turkish Industry and Business Association’s (TÜSİAD) meeting that will be held in Cizre, in the southeastern province of Şırnak.

Tarkan Kadooğlu who is from Cizre and who is also a member of TÜSİAD’s executive committee as well as head of the executive board of Southeastern Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Federation is one of the masterminds behind this meeting.

A few notes about Cizre before reporting my interview with Tarkan Kadooğlu.

Cizre has borders both with Syria and Iraq and it is on the historic Silk Way. Cizre has hosted several civilizations such as Babylon, Arab, Assyrian, Medes and Kurdish since 2000 B.C.

After Islam entered the region, first it was under the rule of Abbasids and Emevis then later the Seljuks. In 1627, it came under the Ottoman Empire’s rule.

The deluge myth we know from holy books has a connection to Cizre also. It is related that after his ark landed in Judi Mountain, Noah later lost his life at Cizre.

In our conversation Tarkan Kadooğlu referred to the historic richness of Cizre as well as how the town was the most affected one in the 30-year-old war and thus has become a symbol.

“By contributing to the region’s economic development, TÜSİAD wants to be a party to the peace process. Peace cannot be achieved only through steps taken by the government. The business world will also undertake its share,” Tarkan Kadooğlu said. He is organizing a panel in Cizre today named, “The Outlook of the Business Investment in East and Southeast.”

According to Kadooğlu, the message TÜSİAD will give at Cizre would mean a message to the entire East and Southeast Anatolia.

Given that Şırnak is one of the least developed provinces in the country (78th place), it would not be an exaggeration to say that TÜSİAD’s message will be met with excessive hope and joy in the region.

Including the members of the executive committees of TÜSİAD and Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED), the Cizre meeting of 100 businesspeople will be held at the historic Red Madrasa (Kırmızı Medrese) built in the 15th century.

“In the Red Madrasa, there was a university 850 years ago. Cizre was one of science centers of Mesopotamia,” said Tarkan Kadooğlu, adding that all the small business owners and nongovernmental organizations of Şırnak will be present at the meeting.

Well, what will be spoken at the TÜSİAD summit at Cizre?

“We will exchange ideas on how investments could be done here. Last year, exports from Cizre to Iraq reached 1 billion dollars. Cizre, instead of being a bridge to exports, can export goods that will be produced here,” said Kadooğlu. He believed there were investment opportunities for sectors such as construction material, food and textile.

Of course, peace process expected in Syria will be good for the investor in Cizre, as it was in Iraq. It is calculated that the country that experienced a huge devastation because of war will, just like Iraq, undergo a structuring process.

Stating that there was great interest toward the 1000-decare organized industry zone in Cizre, Tarkan Kadooğlu is preparing to break the investment news from Cizre today.

Head of TÜSİAD and Sütaş chairman Muharrem Yılmaz had given signals of a new investment to the region before.

Today is really an important day for the southeast.