Erdemli Business Trade

Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, Chairman of Erdem Holding has been in the world of business since age of 20 ... Erdem, who is 60 years old today, introduces himself as a business man who has never been in a credit at the bank and has paid his tax to the last penny. He is from the race of Hz. Hasan, who is the grandchild of Hz. Muhammad, that is his family is prolonged to Hz. Muhammad and Erdem stated that he owes all characteristics he explains, to his father’s advices when he has started trade. Erdem requested permission from his father when he was starting in trade life and asked, “We are the family of Hz. Hasan, who is the grandchild of Hz. Muhammad, from the race of prophet. What do you prescribe? ... Thus, his father advised, "to date we have not deal with forbidden by religion, we have kept out interest, being away from the two is enough”... Erdem stated, “From that time on, we have neither had repose nor been in a credit at the bank. I have never had individual bank account. We have spent what we earn in investment" ... He looks for the good character in his staff. The staff that starts to work newly, after the trial period comes to the office of him and employed after they say, “I take an oath upon my honor and credit that I will first preserve the rights of the customers and the benefits of the Company all through my business life". Erdem said, "All staff starts work with this oath. There are people from every kind of religion and belief among the staff. Even there are atheists". We talked about European Union, relations with USA, Big Middle East Project and Turkish economy with Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, who is the chairman of 9 companies including Genpa, is the Honorary President of the Association of Turkish American Businessmen, is the Honorary Consul of Republic of Sudan and has lots of works.

* There is an important date for Turkey in future. We have been waiting for the for the negotiation date of EU on December 17th, 2004. Do you think this negotiation date is taken?

* Turkey has been dovetailed to the date of December 17th 2004 for 2 years. I think Turkey should be the member of EU. However, I think there is not be any big problem if it would not be the member because Turkey will not need EU in the course of time. They will need us because Turkey is full of with young and ambitious people. It is a country, which wishes to become big however old people are in the majority in EU. We will also see this in near future. For instance, the non-membership of Sweden and nonparticipation of England into the Euro region are supporting my opinion. Turkey will even outpace the German and French economies 10-15 years later. If we cannot have the date from EU, it is not the end of the world. Just so, we should not fall into confusion. At this point, the public should support the government. We should not leave the prime minister alone because as İsmet İnönü stated a new world would be established and Turkey would take its place in it. There is belief in EU that Turkey will be the Trojan Horse of USA. And because of this it is thought that USA has supported Turkey’s membership in EU. But, neither USA needs this nor Turkey has an intention to this...

* Gross National Product of Germany is annually 1.9 trillion dollars. It is around 1.4 trillion dollars in French. On the other hand, it is 238 billion dollars in Turkey as of 2003. What will happen in these 10 years and Gross National Product of Turkey will increase to 1.9 trillion dollars.

Turkey has been surrounded wars from four sides. Turkey has been living within this catastrophe for 20 years. Turkey will be in EU geography for being saved from these wars and will not break off connection with the current Islamic group as nation. Islamic group consists of 1.5 billion people. So, Turkey, whose industry and technology has developed, will pass over Germany by interfering into this market. In addition, Turkey has tourism, people and experience that promise future. Furthermore, Turkey has faced with biggest differences in the meaning of thought. Till yesterday to overthrow items 141-142 were a problem. Today they were overthrown and nothing has happened. Broadcast in foreign language was the problem. Today we do not have such thing like that.

* Foreign capital has not been coming to Turkey. It has been coming so less although the foreign capital investment should be over 5 billion dollars in a year according to the potential. What is the reason? What do you think?

*Turkey offers very good prospects. The foreign capital investors will come to Turkey after solving some problems. However, Turkey still could not finalize its privatization. Even the government nowadays has also been unsuccessful in this issue. Political instability has been the biggest obstacle. Turkey has important problem to solve in this issue. At first the bureaucratic obstacles should be overthrown. The legal arrangements should be performed as soon as possible in order to have privatization in fair. We know that the privatizations have been obstructed in order not lose their credits. These should not be happened at all. Besides, to have stable tax in economical field is also more important to have foreign capital.

NOT ENOUGH

*It has been stated that the economical data have been well in Turkey. We have broken records in exportation at development figures. But, unemployment is in considerable size. Did we really grown?

*The studies of the Government are in the positive way for 2 years but not enough. Turkey has really grown in last two years. The inflation has been decreased. But this growth has not been reflected to the citizens, yet. The national income in Turkey has reached to 4 thousand 500 dollars per person today when you compared with 2 years ago, that was 2 thousand dollars per person. Turkey has considerable changes in its political and cultural life aw well as it has developed its economy. The reason of the unemployment is that the factories have made more investment to automation at all. In the past thousand people worked in factories but today this number is 10 by the help of machines. We should look for the reason of the unemployment here.

USA NEED TURKEY IN MIDDLE EAST

*How will Turkey –USA relations develop over the long time?

Turkey-USA relations have been dependent first on military and strategically and then financial and social bases. The second base of Great Middle East Project of USA is Turkey. If USA decides to perform this project without Turkey, it will lack of one of its bases. Therefore, Turkey has the greatest importance in this meaning. USA helped Turkey whenever it had problems in every period. In past EU countries only watched the mass murder in Bosnia, in the middle of Europe, but USA and Turkey prevented this mass murder together with the operations they performed. Turkey will be the key country either in its region or in the world. The best example of it was seen in 2001 economical crisis. In this crisis EU countries drew their money from Turkey but at that period IMF offered its hand for help. That’s; Turkey is very important for USA. This will continue although the presidents are also changed in USA because presidents of USA served in international platforms. Reasonable is responsible for People. Reasonable forms the government in People.

*Does this statement cover rather Jewish equity owners?

*80 percentages of the equity market in USA is in the hands of Jewish people. About 80 percentages of the Reasonable People are formed by them.