Well, we all know that you are a figure who is well-known by our congregation but even so, it would be better if we start with a short biography of yours, wouldn’t it?

I was born in Mardin. It was 6 centuries ago when my family had come and settled in Mardin. I completed my elementary and secondary education in Mardin. Following my graduation from the Faculty of Chemistry in Yildiz Technical University in 1970, I became an assistant for Industrial Inorganic Chemistry Department in 1973, a position which I maintained until 1976. I completed my doctorate degree at the School of Business Administration in Istanbul University in 1987. I was the Chairman of Istanbul Chamber of Chemical Engineers from 1972 through 1974; I also served as Kimsan Labor Union General President in 1973. I was the founder of provincial organization for the National Democracy Party in 1983; I was also promoted as the Provincial Head of the Party. Among my positions and offices that I hold in non-governmental organizations today include Marmara Region Spain Consular Agent, Republic of Sudan Istanbul Consular Agency, Membership to the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), DEIK-Turkish-Spanish Business Council Chairman (for eighteen years), TABA Am Cham – Turkish American Businessmen Society Honorary Presidency, Turgut Ozal Ideas Research Society General Directorate, Membership to Board of Directors at MAREV (Mardin Businessmen Society), - Board membership at MARSEV (Mardin Foundation of Education), Membership to Board of Trustees at Yildiz Technical University, Membership to Turkish Heart Society and membership at Istanbul Chemical Engineers Chamber and Turkish Chemical Society. I was elected as Global Advisory Board member at George Washington University in February 2002. Omar Hassan Al Bashir, the President of Sudan, honored me with a State Medal of Merit on June 29, 2000. The same year I also assumed my office as Sudan Istanbul Honorary Agent. On December 13, 2002 I was awarded with “State Honor Medal” by Juan Carlos, the King of Spain, as an appreciation of my contributions to Turkish-Spanish relations. Mr. Bulent Arinc, the then Speaker of the House at Turkish Parliament, awarded me with Turkish Parliament Medal of Superior Merit thanks to my contribution and services for my country and Mardin, my hometown, on May 2, 2006.

Having enjoyed a presence since 1965 for the import and marketing of various industrial and commercial products and having started up its business operations in 1978, Genpa A.S. stepped into the communication world when GSM technology was first introduced in Turkey in 1993. Thereafter Genpa has become Erdem Holding’s flagship. Today Genpa not only markets Nokia mobile phones and accessories for which it is the distributor but also offers importation, wholesales and retail sales, distribution and technical aftermarket services for Apple iPhone mobile phones in collaboration with Turkcell.

Would you please tell us about your opinions and wishes regarding Turkey in general and the Archdiocese of Istanbul Syrian Orthodox Congregation more specifically.

We have shared many memories with so many members of our Syrian Orthodox Congregation in both Mardin and numerous cities all around Turkey and in foreign countries or to our south or way north. I have always heard the respect and love that my Syrian brothers have cherished for my family. That’s the reason why this Congregation is very important for us, for Turkey and for all divine (monotheistic) religions. So far their beneficial services to Turkey are innumerable We have gone through many things together in artistic, social, cultural and community areas. Together we have made many decisions. For instance, Ali Bulac told the following anecdote in the Generations Meeting convention held by our Honorable President in Mardin on December 11: “We always used to have our prayer rug in our Syrian Orthodox neighbors. When we visited them, we used to spend long hours with them, all eating and talking time away, and when it was time for us to pray, they used to promptly dig out and unfold those prayer rugs. We used to make our prayers right there only to go back to our chat. This means that we have always considered them the people united under the same flag, on the same land, joined at the axis of the same language, the same culture and the same civilization irrespective of whether they were at their homes or lived in our homes or on their lands or on our territory. There might have been regrettable events provoked by agitators eager to set our people against Syrian Orthodoxies and driven by international agents pursuing different goals and these provocations might have been successful from time to time. But in no event have we ever treated the members of this congregation different from our families, our spirits and nation in an isolated way.

One of the notable reasons underlying our approach above is the fact that they are people of merit Their significant role in architectural, cultural and social development of South Eastern Anatolia is undeniable. There has always been mutual respect for our faith; we have buried our dead next to each other; we have cried together, have gone through jubilant times hand in hand. That’s the reason why the Syrian Congregate is an integral part of Turkish Republic’s Cultural Mosaic. The jubilance that comes from living together is priceless. We love all our brothers and this love is quite reciprocal.

You have a penchant when it comes to your insight about Turkey. You are in close relations with top governors in our state; could you please tell us your opinions about the latest course of things in Turkey and her future?

We have been striving for long years to show the way for both us and other businessmen and entrepreneurs. We have been industriously working without any compromise when it comes to time, idea and effort. Our objective is clear: To advance Turkish Republic way ahead, to export more, to increase our international insight and experienced and to trade first with our neighbors and then all other countries in the world that you can count off your head. One should always remember that a person who does not think much about his country’s future and interest; who simply shoulders away his duties towards her; who evades taxes, and in one sense, who neglects his children’s tomorrow will lose his chance nor may he embrace that country in future.

For more than twenty years, we worked hard at TOBB (the Union of Chamber and Commodity Exchanges). We have recently taken a huge step forward: Led by Rifat Hisarciklioglu, the President, we have set up 80 different work councils which work as counterpart institutions in 80 different countries. We are trying to illuminate the path for our businessmen and to facilitate the trading for them. We are eager to see nations know each other better in social and cultural terms. Backed by an enormous sacrifice, we are ignoring our own affairs just to work for the benefit of Turkey.

The fact that I was brought up in a community in Mardin where it is a tradition to embrace people from different religions, languages, cultural and social backgrounds has always been my key to different doors in my life. If I have been successful in doing things good for Turkey, yes, I am really proud. This is my best legacy for my family. This way of life should be an illustrative example for my fellow citizens and all businessmen living in Turkey. This country is ours; if we all embrace it, our children will live free and happily,

You are a successful businessman; we all know that you are consular agent for many countries and hold high offices in many non-governmental organizations. How can you manage to handle all of those tasks and expectations? What is the secret to your success?

If your philosophy and spirit is built on your wish and efforts to see others as successful as you, then these principles will guide you in your business life. To tolerate and respect all people without regard to if they are your fellow citizens. My energy simply comes from this way of thought.  

Your support to the education not only in Mardin and its vicinity but also around the country is enormous. There are many schools and dormitories and sports halls built by you; and there are many students to whom you give scholars. Would you please talk about it?

I and my brother, Mr. Nezih, spent money to see lots of schools, dormitories, soup kitchens and sports halls built and erected. The underlying objective is to raise the level of education in almost all places uniformly in Turkey with a focus on Kurdish areas, in particular, in Mardin and Southeastern Anatolia so that people there will contribute to the advancement of Turkish Republic in future. The only motivation was that everyone should benefit from the right of education without any discrimination whatsoever. If you make something good only for the same of giving someone a hand, this means that you have failed. If there is a child there who is successful, reads quite well but is short of means to support his education, and if he is eager enough to finish his education to stand on his own feet, you should not shy away from self-sacrifice and to help him as much as your means permit it.

This is a cultural legacy to us. There was this kind of institution that the Masters in Savur had founded 100 years ago. They had built dervish monasteries, hermitages, schools for religious and language education, public soup kitchens and dormitories only to be donated to the state later.

We believe that this legacy will not be abandoned by our children. We are driven by a philosophy that if the next generation is not better educated than us, this country will retrogress. Then everyone should help as much as he can. This should be like a public service.

No one will take away his wealth with him when he dies. There is no bank there; there is no stock exchange, no national lottery, no any other game. There is only heaven or hell there, depending on what we have done in this world. We all know this.

Not unlike all divine religions, our religion urges us to treat people with respect, to serve them and to show mercy and tolerance to them. I strongly hope that we will reap what we have sowed here for our services to humanity.

We know that you are one of the founding members for MARSEV which was founded to support Mardin Artuklu University. You have laid down the foundation for Dr Zeynel Abidin Erdem Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences at Mardin University Thanks to you, a dormitory was built. At what stage is Syrian Language and Literature Department in the Living Languages Faculty at the University?

Yes, I am the founding member of Marsev. But we are taking all decisions together from the very scratch: Opinions, society, bureaucratic procedures and activities. The current president is Mr Kemal Nehrozoglu, the former General Secretary of Turkish Presidency.

We have very valuable figures and friends in the management. For instance, Mr Ibrahim Aysoy, who served as an Undersecretary at the Ministry of Transportation and whom we have always seen as a role model thanks to his past efforts. My classroom mate, General Yavuz Olcen is also at the hem. My former school mates, my fellow citizens are all there.

There is no dispute that MARSEV was a key figure in the foundation of Mardin Artuklu University from the day one. Our Esteemed Chancellor embraces everyone backed by this approach and does it with grace, carrying out his duties driven by self-sacrifice. He sometimes suffers huge problems as the bureaucratic procedures in Mardin may get very slow to the point of halt. But we are Mardin people and our biggest goal is to be at the service of our city. In that we are very loyal as our ancestors and families have been living here for more than 600 years. Everyone is remembered with his services. And his services are always appreciated by the people. If you embrace the public,, they in turn embrace their state. From this point of view, the tender and sensitive points of the region should never be ignored and should be always taken into consideration.

We are families dedicated to Mardin and we constantly work not to allow that our hometown is neglected and this way we are properly doing our tasks.

We laid down the foundation of Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences at Artuklu University in a ceremony honored by our Honorable President Abdullah Gul and his wife Hayrünissa Gul on October 25. Our Faculty will survive and remain at service for one thousand years. It is the education that leaves a footprint, elevating the values of the nation and state to higher states in future.

I advise my fellow citizens to do the same thing: Build schools, your name will be remembered after them. There is a saying: “He who dies leaves his works behind” As we are a family long dedicated to be at service of our nation and people, we are not shying away from anything in this respect.

Nezih Erdem,my brother, is now handling a project in Midyat: A college. The majority of construction works is over. We are working non-stop to ensure that it well open as soon as possible. After that, we will lay down foundations for a huge college in Bayrampasa, Istanbul in February 2011. We will invite Mr. Yusuf Cetin for the foundation ceremony,

I had invited him to Mardin on October 25. However, as his schedule was already reserved due to certain ceremonies, he could not attend the foundation ceremony in Mardin. Mr. Yusuf Cetin is a Metropolitan that we highly value, backed by a powerful and sound religious education and his in-depth cultural and insightful character is appreciated by us very much. He is almost a warm link between us and his congregation. We all love and respect our dear Metropolitan who is also a close friend and sayyid of us. We respect his congregation very much. And this is reciprocal: what we get from you is a deep respect. These nice and intimate interaction between us is a legacy from the ancestors of both sides. And with affection and care, we have to instill this interaction to our children and younger generations to immortalize this legacy. In my opinion, this instillation has been successful. From now on if God permits, it is our duty to maintain this process. I believe that everyone should know about and own this process.

We communicated our request to our Honorable President when he visited Mardin. This request concerns the Syrian Language and Literature Department at Living Languages Faculty in Artuklu University. His feedback was very positive. He told us that the region is a very natural and excellent environment to learn and speak Syrian language and to keep the spirit of Syrian culture alive. We were really happy and proud.

Becoming a successful businessman is getting more and more challenging every passing day. What are your advises to young and fresh people as a successful businessman?

Patience is one of the biggest gifts that God has bestowed on people. You have to be patient to get out of the pit of certain problems, relying on your culture, knowledge and education. You will not confuse unemployment with employment. You have to be patient and dedicated when you find a job. You should not change it unless this is the last remedy. You should always go for “halal” as your “halal” efforts will be rewarded with productivity and earnings. You have to do what the state asks you; these are your duties. You should strictly pay your taxes. The state may develop only with your support. You should respect mutual respect, honesty and tolerance regardless of your faith and religion. Your family’s prayers and your own efforts will make you successful as much as us.

No success is random. One should not forget. Everything starts with resolution and devoutness, industrious work and efforts. Profit and loss go hand in hand in trade. Never think that you can isolate one from the other. If you start up a business only to make profit, it is much sooner than that you will close it down. Never pursue any profit that you do not deserve. Plan things on the long term with a broad canvass. Always remember that the education and knowledge are your strongest allies. Do never forget about your hometown, never tear yourself apart from your roots, Let them energize you. One who fails to protect his flag and land cannot defend his family, never forget this. Protect and defend the dynamics and unitary structure of your country. You put a crown on your earnings: make donations.

These are what I always tell my friends. I was way young when my father sent me to Istanbul with a huge amount of capital. I was to do trade. When I asked him to help and guide me, he had an advise instead: “Always shy away from “haram. If you fail, come to me and let me give you another sum of capital. Try to do business once again. But never leave the path of truth” That’s how I arrived at the point where I stand now: Always remaining loyal to these promises to my father. I benefited much from them. I advise everyone to do like this.

My advise to young people is like this: Embrace the rope to the God; rely on your family’s prayers. This is all you need. Your kismet will be distributed to everyone with the early sun. It is the man’s efforts and intention that will increase or decrease that Kismet.

  You were always by us in the course of negotiations held between GAP Construction Administration and Beyoglu Municipality in Tarlabasi Urban Regeneration Project. Thank to your assistance, we managed to make the project designed by us ready for construction. As you should know, our Congregate is in dire need for a land between Yesilkoy and Florya to build a church. Owing to your contribution, we talked to the highest authorities in our country. Would you please tell us your opinions about it?

This question is very important for me. I always gave my support to your congregation during the talks between Beyoglu Municipality and GAP Construction Administration for Tarlabasi Urban Regeneration Project. I never shied away from helping them and I will always be by your side in future. All of us has made the project ready for construction. I hope that everything will turn out very nice and the project will be at the service of our Syrian brothers. I would like to give my huge thanks to Ahmet Misbah Demircan, the Mayor of Beyoglu, for his delicate approach full of insight to the matter. He has been very successful so far and transformed Historic Beyoglu borough, the pearl of Istanbul, to a place which is appreciated by the entire world. I hope that his success will be eternal.

You really needed a land between Yesilkoy and Florya to build a church there. I knew the delicacy of your situation. It is me who talked, first, to our Prime Minister and, later, to our President about this matter. Last month, Mr Mustafa Isen, the General Secretary of the President, told me that they were given instructions to find and assign you a place. But I am not sure why things are a little bit late now. I will continue to personally deal with this matter and remain in contact with the Honorable President, the Honorable Prime Minister and the related Ministers.

I will remind them how important for my fellow citizens to make their prayers and worship in their own church so that they will not have to go to other churches. I want you to certainly believe that a church means the same thing for me as the mosque in terms of importance. Unless young people are allowed to do their pray and worship in their own churches in relaxed environments as guided by their own clergy, they may focus their energy over other things and may deviate from the path to their future. For this reason, if Turkish Republic Government allocates a land our Dearest Syrian Brothers, this will certainly make me very pleased not to mention all those people who have so far contributed to our efforts.

Let me tell you, my Syrian brothers, that I am working and continue to work about this matter. I hope that one fine day we will achieve what we have set out and we will visit our Honorable President and Honorable Prime Minister to thank them with all our hearts.

  In Erdem Holding, you are publishing a very quality magazine. One issue had your picture with our Patriarch. Let me hear your comments about IDEM?

It is a great pleasure for me to read IDEM. I am very pleased to see you come up with very nice news. I am really proud of your success.

Our pictures together with our Syrian brothers and Patriarchs that we have published in Erdem Holding magazine several times mean much for us. These pictures and pieces of news that reflect our unity are delivered to our 3600 dealers all around Turkey and all bureaucratic authorities in our capital city. It was a great pleasure and honor for me to receive the State Medal of Merit next to my dear Syrian Brothers. This Medal was rewarded by Turkish parliament to me in 2006 thanks to my contributions to Mardin, my hometown. If we lose your moral support, we remain lonely and cannot do much on our own. Mr Bulent Arinc, who was the Speaker for Turkish Parliament then and the Deputy to the Prime Minister and the Minister in charge of State Affairs now accepted us at his office, thanking and appreciating our efforts.

I always talk about those meetings that we make with Metropolitan Mor Filüksinos Yusuf Cetin, my dear brother, those fasts that we have broken together and our friendship before press, journalists and TV anchormen so that everyone will hear about them.

The picture that I and the esteemed Patriarch Mor Ignatiyos Ist Zekka Ivas is a huge source of pride for me. As you should know, Mr Ivas is one of my fellow citizens and is a highly valuable Patriarch. I talked to him in a meeting that Mr Yusuf Cetin invited me. We had agreed that we would come together again in Damascus at a proper time. I hope that I will visit him in Damascus in spring if his health conditions permit.

In the past, Mr Muammer Guler., the Governor of Istanbul, had welcomed him with due respect and deference. We had had a meeting then. Both sides had been highly pleased.

We will continue to live together with our Syrian brothers. The unity brings power and the separation brings inconvenience and burden. I hope our young people treat each other with respect and affection as that’s how our Esteemed Metropolitans and Patriarchs have treated us. If they get away from each other, this country collapses into dark ages. If they come closer, we will be stronger than ever. I ask new generations to come together more than ever through certain sports activities and cultural and artistic events. I strongly advise that children of all our friends, but in particular, my own children, should attend each meeting. Please cast off your prejudices against Turkish people. One can pray five times a day but this should not mean that he will not talk to you. Turkey has now changed. In the past we were always advised to live together in a consensus.

When the “Tolerance Meetings” were organized by Fethullah Gulen in the past, everyone was afraid of them. Alevis were afraid of Sunnis; Kurdish people were afraid of Turkish people; Christians were afraid of Turkish people; The Jewish were afraid of Alevis. Armenian people were afraid of the Jewish. But all had come together in Tolerance Meetings. But the results were outstanding: In these meetings, people were very pleased and happy to come together, have a dinner and talk to each other. And we understood that this legacy and spirit of the Ottoman have come back with a vengeance. This system has come back. The tolerance has come back.

  We have to advise that this tolerance should be more common among our young people; that they should come together more closely and frequently in future; know each other by their names; tell what they are doing to the other people and reach a consensus in future when two young people may call each other, saying the following words; “Brother, do you know that man? He is a Syrian but I have some work for him to do...Do you recommend Emanual to that brother” Now that’s what we are experiencing and we are trying to use all our means as everyone knows. However, if we reach at a point tomorrow where one does not know the other, I am afraid we will be isolated from each other. That’s the reason why this kind of meetings should be held during summer time so that everyone will know everyone, starting from the beginning of this year.

I think that not unlike the meetings held by Mr Yusuf Cetin in Ankara, if our Young Muslim Brothers spend time with our Young Syrian Brothers for a few days, this will be mutually beneficial to everyone.

With my due respect, I wish success to every Syrian brother at home and abroad