Spain decorates Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem

"Commander of the Spanish Civil Merit" one of Spain's most important state awards, has been given to Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, the chairman of DEIK's Turkish-Spanish Business Council Spanish Ambassador: 'Zeynel Bey, we thank you for being our friend' 'There are very small stones under every big monument for eguilibrium. Foreigners make me feel that I am one of these small balncing stones. Other states are conferring these kinds of awards on me.'

Spain most recently granted $400 million in credit for the repair and rehabilitation of the Istanbul - Ankara railroad line at two percent interest and 37 years with a 17 year grace period 'Spain is ready to provide credit for the steel needed for the Çanakkale Bosphorus Bridge. This is also $500-600 million. The green light is burning for the AKP government to get loans for its projects, Because of it, Spain must be seen as a friend ofours that should never be given up'

We Turks have never been very successful at "manufacturing" and "selling." The number of our businessmen who have taken into their heads to manufacture and sell is so small that they can be counted on one hand. We are very indebted for the compromises they have made in their own private lives and for the unbelievable work these few businessmen have done in order to promote and advertise Turkey to the world. Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem is just such a businessman. He is not just the name of a businessman, however, but he is also frequently being on the country's agenda for his work in social and cultural fıelds. He is also known as "the man who lobbies alone for Turkey." We also have seen him as the businessman closest to Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on the European Union (EU) road. 

Erdem is someone who can successfully juggle not two watermelons at a time but 40 and he is continually being praised by other countries for the work he does. Erdem is the chairman of the Turkish-Spanish Business Council, a member of the Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK), and because of his contributions to cooperation and friendship between the two countries, he has been deemed worthy of the Royal Merit Decoration "Commander of the Order of the Spanish Civil Merit." 

Earlier the Sudanese State Award was given to Erdem. This time the decoration was from Spain, the Royal Award of Merit, an honor rarely granted. 

Friendship's day of honor

At the reception given in the Çıragan Palace, Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem said, "I am honored on behalf of my country as a Turkish businessman because of the Spanish Civil Merit Decoration that Spanish King Juan Carlos has seen fit to present to me." A great number of people attended the reception -Kemal Nevrozoğlu, general secretary of the Turkish president, high-level Spanish bureaucrats and company representatives as well as board members of the Union of Turkish Chambers of Commerce and Industry (TOBB), DEIK and the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TÜSIAD), members of parliament, artists, businessmen and a broad spectrum of the press. 

Spanish Ambassador Manuel de la Camara spoke, drawing attention to the fact that Erdem was active in many fields while he was at the same spoke, drawing attention to the fact that Erdem was active in many fields while he was at the same time one of the very important representatives of the Turkish business sector in America. Noting that Erdem was a patriot, de la Camara pointed out that Erdem had taken part in the visits to important capitals of Europe, along with other very valuable businessmen like himself, in order to support Turkey's membership in the EU. He said, "From that standpoint, I want to say, my dear friend, that you have a marvelous career as a diplomat." De la Camara also said in his speech, "He [Erdem] is general chairman of the Turkish American Businessmen's Association (TABA), chairman of the Turkish-Spanish Business Council and vice chairman of the French-Turkish Business Council. From this standpoint we can say that he has been active on three continents. At the same time he is very active socially. He is the chairman of some small business organizations and at the same time a faculty member of some universities. But what has the greatest importance for us is his encouragement of cooperation between Turkey and Spain. He became chairman of the Turkish-Spanish Business Council in 1996 and since then we can say that trade between Spain and Turkey tripled. 

"We will never permit Erdem to remain silent for he will always continue his efforts at developing cooperation between Turkey and Spain. As we understand it, he is planning to organize a meeting of the Turkish-Spanish Business Council in İstanbul. We hope that after this meeting, the Turkish delegation may go to Spain. We hope that your trade and economic minister, Ali Babacan, will head this delegation." 

The Spanish ambassador went on to say, "I came to this country in September 2000. He met with me within a few hours of my arrival to welcome me." And speaking in Turkish, he concluded, "We want to thank you, Zeynel Bey, for being our friend."

The honor is the Turkish nation's

At the reception, Erdem began his speech with the words, "I am experiencing a day on behalf of Turkey that gives me a lot of hope. I owe a debt of thanks, on behalf of the entire Turkish nation, to His Majesty King Juan Carlos who approved of the services I have carried out for years as chairman of DEIK's Spanish-Turkish Business Council and who made this proud moment possible for us. I accept this award as an expression of thanks in the name of my country and take it to heart. Through me this honor belongs to the Turkish nation."

Erdem offered his thanks to de la Camara who has contributed greatly in strengthening the friendship between Turkey and Spain. He also thanked the Spanish Business Council chairman who had come from Spain with his family for that day and all the Spanish ambassadors and consuls general and commercial attaches who have always supported the Spanish Business Council that was working in Turkey and had succeeded in doing the impossible.

Continuing, Erdem said, "My family has a history of 700 years on this soil and in all periods of history it has been at the service of the state. The greatest purpose in my life was to take up this duty from my ancestors who had always been honest and hard working and had a tradition of serving and continuing to do so worthily. Today, in the modern world, thinking about being with the people of other countries in order to be of service to your own people gains meaning. In saying this, my purpose is to ensure that the new generations of the Turkish nation aim to continue the same tradition and serve the world. While living through this beautiful and dignified day because of your coming here and as always you haven't left me alone, I want to say thank you and Viva Spain, viva Turkey." 

Spain the unforgettable friend

The reception given in honor of Erdem, who never compromises on his meritorious behavior, was at the same time a demonstration of developments in Turkish-Spanish relations. The Turkish businessmen who attended the reception said that the Spanish King's award honored them as well Erdem answered our questions unable to hide his excitement and pride.

TDN - You have worked long and hard to develop economic relations between the two countries. What in your opinion is Spain's understanding of Turkey?

ERDEM - We've now become a missionary. Beİng in this position we aimed at whatever country that would help Turkey. Following the visit of the late President Turgut Özal, Spain has given complete support to Turkey's bid to enter Europe. Former president, Süleyman Demirel, and Mesut Yılmaz, while prime minister, carried on with this dialogue. In the 1980's Turkey's imports from Spain were $40 million while exports were $70 million. Now our imports are nearly $2 billion while our exports amount to more than one billion. 

Spain gave the Casa airplanes to us when we were being embargoed militarily during our struggle with terrorism in the southeast and no one would give us transport aircraft. While the European countries applied a conjectural embargo during our struggle with terrorism on the grounds that "human rights were being trampled on," Spain provided a 37-year-term, low-interest credit so that these planes could be manufactured in Turkey. From the beginning right to today, it has been providing support in every sense of the word on the topic of the struggle with the PKK, Europe and entry into the European Union. Spain is the one country after the United States that has given the most effort for our entry into the EU. It has been Spain that has been the country that stands alone in the EU and defends Turkey. In this defense too it has now turned out to be right. Among the Spanish arguments, they say that there has to be a Müslim country among us and that has to be Turkey. It has been saying that Turkey is worthy of this and valuable. These have now become popular, and these words are being spoken loudly. Since 1986 Spain has insistently continued to say these words, to make this statement and now you see that it continues to do so. If we have been found worthy of such a decoration, it shows that what we have been saying was true.

TDN - What kind of a goal must Turkey set for itself in its future relations with Spain?

ERDEM - If Turkey acts intelligently, it would get at the very least $2.5 billion in credit next year. This could even be $5 billion. It is the one country that shares everything with us taking into consideration its position as an ally and its mentality. Because you know that Spain's character is the same as ours because we are Mediterranean. Even the food dishes are the same. The result is that Spain understands us very well. Spain's contribution to Turkey in terms of foreign capital began in 1986. Most recently it gave $4 million in credit for the repair and rehabilitation of the railway between Istanbul and Ankara on terms of 37 years with no payment for 17 years. Spain is also ready to give credits toward the steel for the Çanakkale Bosphorus Bridge. This is $500 -600 million. They've switched on the green light to provide credits for the projects of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. Because of it, Spain has to be counted as a friend of ours that must never be given up.

TDN - You 're engaged in successful lobbying by yourself. Do you say to yourself, "If only l were more to the fore in politics?

ERDEM - Because of protocol requirements, members of the state can't speak sometimes - they want to speak but can't, whereas we may communicate as civilian ambassadors in their name. We say what they want to, we speak about the state of our country. I would never have been a good, active politician. Today Tayyip Erdoğan cannot speak to Spain, France, America or England whereas I can easily speak and make requests. If I'm refused, there's no problem. But a minister of state or a deputy prime minister can't. Because of that we prepare in advance. We clean the stones and pull out the thorns, saying as we do it, please pass by this way. We're like the Ottoman light cavalry. In many instances that involve Turkey, I've put in effort and made many contributions, even if rather small. Under all big monuments there are very small stones used for equilibrium. Foreigners sense this characteristic of my being one of these small balancing stones. Other states confer such decorations as these on me. 

Istanbul - Turkish Daily News

Erdem in Perspective 

Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem is the chairman of DElK's Turkish-Spanish Business Council. In 1989 the business council was inaugurated by the late President Turgut Ozal to develop economic, political and cultural relations between Turkey and Spain and under Erdem's chairmanship it has achieved many significant successes. The councii has taken important steps in encouraging and achieving commercial and financial cooperation between Turkey and Spain as well as on the road to Turkey's becoming a full member of the European Union. And at the same time it has played a big role in Turkey's becoming Spain's seventh largest trading partner. In recent years the business council has also played a serious role in increasing investments in Turkey and in developing strong cooperative ventures in many sectors and especially in manufacturing.

Erdem was born in the Savur district of Mardin on February 15,1944. After graduating from the Chemistry Faculty of Yıldız University in 1970, he worked as an assistant in the Industrial Non-organic Chemistry Department between 1973-1976. He completed the doctoral program in istanbul University's Management Faculty. Between 1972 and 1974 he was chairman of the istanbul Chamber of Chemical Engineers, in 1973 he served as the general chairman of the Kimsan labor union. In 1983 he was the founder of the MDP district organization and served as its chairman. Erdem had begun his work life in 1965 and is still the board chairman of Erdem Holding A,S., GENPA Telecommunications Services and Erdemsoft A.S.

Erdem who is the honorary consul in Istanbul for Sudan is the chairman of the Turkish-Spanish Business Council and of TABA's honorary council. In addition, he is a former chairman of The Club of Rome in Turkey and general secretary of the Turgut Ozal Ideas Research Association and Foundation, a member of the executive board of DEIK and a member of the Turkish Chemical Association, Istanbul Chemical Engineers Chamber that belongs to the Turkish Machine Engineers Association and the Turkish Chemical Foundation. He also is chairman of MAR-EV (Mardin Businessmen's Association) and a member of the High Consultative Council of STV, Samanyolu TV.

Erdem has a sportsman's personality and he plays tennis and golf as well as taking an interest in team sports like basketball and volleyball. He is actively involved in sports associations such as serving as a member of the executive board of the Sailing Federation, an honorary member of the National Golf Club and a member of the Klassis Golf Club.

Erdem is married and the father of two children.