INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS TOP PRIORITY FOR KAGÝDER’S BOYNER
Today’s Zaman
March 3 2008
Turkey
‘On one hand, we tell them we really want to be part of the European
Union. On the other, when it comes to the universal European values
such as transparency, democracy, human rights and individual freedoms,
we prosecute our Nobel Prize-winning novelist and some other authors
and journalists because they speak their minds’ As the head of the
Country Promotion Commission of Turkey’s largest business organization,
TUSÝAD (Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association), Umit
Boyner encounters the most difficulty in Europe at times when Turkey
is prosecuting its writers, journalists and academics for their candor.
She says that outside of the business world in Europe, Turkey is
being perceived as more backward than it really is and to top this
prejudice, the country constantly sends mixed messages to Europe,
making the task of gaining acceptance even harder.
"On one hand, we tell them how much tolerance we have toward others and
other religions, and on the other, we have religiously and ethnically
motivated murders, such as the murder of [Turkish-Armenian journalist]
Hrant Dink. We have such contradictions, which do not fit the European
equation," she explains.
For Monday Talk, she shared her outspokenness with us on issues ranging
from removal of the headscarf ban to the solution of Turkey’s Kurdish
citizens’ problems and why she supports quotas for women in politics.
What are the difficulties you face while promoting Turkey in Europe?
Europe’s business world is well aware of Turkey’s assets but outside
of the business circles, some Europeans still think of Turkey as a
farming country. Even those who claim to know Turkey have a lot of
prejudices against Turkey. Some of them think that Turkey’s entry into
the European Union would threaten their labor force balances within the
bloc and therefore perceive Turkey as an economic threat rather than an
asset. There are also prejudices regarding Islam. They perceive Islam
as going through radicalism. We know that our democracy is not flawless
but Europeans perceive Turkey as more backward than it really is.
Why do you think that is?
Partly because we give them mixed messages. On one hand, we tell
them we really want to be part of the European Union; on the other,
when it comes to the universal European values such as transparency,
democracy, human rights and individual freedoms, we prosecute our Nobel
Prize-winning novelist and some other authors and journalists because
they speak their minds. On one hand, we tell them how much tolerance
we have toward others and other religions and on the other, we have
religiously and ethnically motivated murders, such as the murder of
[Turkish-Armenian journalist] Hrant Dink. We have such contradictions,
which do not fit the European equation.
How do you explain these contradictions to the Europeans, then?
We’re not experts on these topics, but we’re trying to bring Europeans,
be they journalists or other people we have contacts with, together
with the right people and experts in Turkey. And what we generally
tell them is that Turkey is not a homogenous society, but a country
in which many different views can and do exist.
Why is a business organization such as TUSÝAD interested in such
an undertaking?
In today’s world, the business world’s values have gone beyond making
profits. We have been taking social responsibility seriously; we see
ourselves as a civil society organization. We are trying to be the
voice of the business world in economics, in politics and in social
areas. We’re investing in Turkey’s future, so we’re interested in
inequalities in income distribution, inequalities in opportunity —
and if we do not have those values, we cannot have a fully functioning
democracy. And if there is no democracy, there is no stability. For
TUSÝAD, Turkey’s European Union project is Turkey’s most important
project since the founding of the republic. And it will remain so.
What are the questions you face most in the European capitals these
days?
Europeans have been watching and seeing a slow progress in the reform
process. Democracy is not only related to freeing headscarves at the
universities. There are so many things to do in the area of freedom
of speech, freedom of thought, transparency of the justice system,
women’s status in the society, providing equal opportunities, etc. Is
the government meeting the expectations of its voters, is a question
in Europeans’ minds. Another question is about the effect of global
financial crisis on Turkey.
Don’t you think that headscarf freedom at universities opens a path
for more freedoms in other areas as well?
I think the last move to free the headscarf at the universities has
neither satisfied the supporters of the ban nor the opponents. It’s
been a divisive issue unfortunately as we’ve also understood from the
reaction of the liberals who increasingly criticized the government
for the way it handled the situation. I think the government should
have had steps toward increasing all individual freedoms not just
lifting the ban on headscarf.
How is Turkey affected by the global financial turbulence?
It’s been affected. There is a theory which says growing economies —
such as in Turkey, China and India — won’t be affected but I don’t
agree with that. I think they will be affected and we feel it. For
example, our export markets have been shrinking. In addition, our
current account deficit has reached a record peak.
What do you expect from the government in that regard?
The government is going ahead with privatization to obtain more
income; it has been a positive move. In addition, it should control
its spending. In that regard, social security reform package is
important. It has the biggest share in government’s spending. Another
important thing is to release political tension because tension and
instability scare the markets. Financial crises have been usually
due to political reasons rather than purely financial reasons.
You’ve been active on women’s issues as well. How do you see the
scene for women in Turkey?
Nobody listen to women in topics related to women. For example,
I’m not sure women’s perspective has been included when making a
new constitution. I don’t see women in politics. I support a quota
system for women in politics but it’s such a taboo and you’ve been
accused of supporting discrimination if you support quota system. We
also have problems educating women. But when it comes to education,
I think we need to have a fundamental change in our education system
which is quite dogmatic and not analytical. We claim to have a large
and dynamic young population but fail to educate them well. Our youth
doesn’t have any hope from the future. Even university students don’t
believe that they’ll be able to find jobs following their graduation.
Why have you supported a parliamentary quota system for women?
It would have encouraged more women to enter politics. I know so many
qualified women who are ready to spend money and effort for their
political campaigns and they do, and at the end they find themselves
at the bottom of the candidate lists. This is so unfair. If there is
a quota system, more qualified women would enter politics. Right now
they believe and feel that they can not defeat the traditional male
system in politics. They have been heart broken.
What steps by the government would make your job easier in Europe?
There are so many things to do. At first, steps to increase freedom
of thought come to my mind. And Turkey’s future and what to do for
that future is quite important to discuss. What is Turkey’s vision?
Politicians should have a long-sighted view on this but they don’t.
We neither hear about that from the government nor from the civil
society.
When it comes to the military incursions and operations into the
northern Iraq, what do the Europeans question most?
They expect political steps regarding the Kurdish issue. The roots
of the problem are inside Turkey, not outside. If we take political
steps regarding the Kurdish issue, we’ll be taken more seriously in
Europe in solving the problems related to it.
What are your observations in Anatolia? What types of changes have
been occurring there?
We have a growing middle class throughout the Anatolia. I can name a
lot of growing cities in terms of capital growth as well, for example,
Kayseri, Konya, Gaziantep and Denizli.
What’s been happening in these places?
People are more involved in production. They invest more and as they
do, they realize that they have a say in the future of the country.
They want to see solutions to the problems of the country. There are
so many business organizations, small-sized TUSÝADs which have been
more and more interested in Turkey’s future. We work together with
these local business organizations toward a more democratic Turkey.
What’s been happening in mainly Kurdish areas, such as Diyarbakýr?
People are hopeless and feel lonely. They fear of not being seen an
integral part of Turkey.
Contrary to the belief of many Turks think they actually want to be
separated from Turkey?
I never felt that. They want to see us there more, they asked for
more investments in their region. We had a visit there after the
bombing incident [Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s Jan. 4 bomb attack
in which an improvised explosive device in a car parked outside a
school was detonated as a bus carrying military personnel passed along
the street killing six civilians, five of them teenage students]. We
wanted to make them feel like they were not alone. I found the public
of Diyarbakýr in despair, loneliness and sadness. On the other hand,
our military commanders and units in the same region have been in
certain uneasiness. I think Turkey will overcome this situation. We
will learn the value of our differences. Not every body is the same,
not every body thinks the same way, there are other ways and we need
to be open to listen and learn.
What would you say about the elite class in Turkey?
The elite class is not homogenous in Turkey. Some of the elite are
against change and pro-status quo, and some of the elite are supporting
change dearly.
Among the elite, TUSÝAD used to spearhead a lot of reports regarding
democratization of Turkey…
We have a lot of projects at micro level. We never compromise our
democratization ideals for Turkey. We’re working on forty different
projects from new technologies and innovation to an analytical
approach in education sector and agriculture. But we don’t make a
big announcement before maturing our ideas or projects.
Do you ever blame some of the European politicians, such as the German
and French leaders Angela Merkel and Nicholas Sarkozy respectively
for their discouraging remarks against the inclusion of Turkey in
the European Union?
Their attitude does not help Turkey. But the likes of Sarkozy and
Merkel come and go; we have to continue on our path in the same manner,
implementing reforms toward the membership goal.
Umit Boyner Among the most powerful women in Turkey, she is a member
of the executive board of Boyner Holding, a company which manufactures
textiles primarily, and overseas group financial management activities.
Armed with degrees from the University of Rochester and Columbia
University in the United States, she has a background in venture
capital investments and finance.
Among her other positions, she is the president of the Turkish
Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association’s (TUSÝAD) Country
Promotion Commission; founder and president of Women Entrepreneurs of
Turkey (KAGÝDER); founder and board member of Corporate Volunteers of
Turkey (OSGD); trustee of the Education Volunteers Foundation (TEGV);
and founder and trustee of the Turkish Autism Foundation (TOHUM).
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