We have been proudly contributing to the development of our country with our history of 160 years and in fall 2016 we published our Business to Society report that summarizes such contributions.

And now there is a new opportunity before us to reward the sustainability efforts of Turkey. As Siemens Turkey, by combining our sustainability strategy with our social responsibility initiatives, we made an application to the independent European Business Awards to become a “National Champion”. We completed the first phase of the process with success. Now if you would like to support Siemens Turkey at the public voting held individually in 34 countries, you may cast your vote until 1 March 2017, Wednesday.

I was in Germany recently. I was invited as a speaker to a meeting where the leaders of the largest SMEs all over the world would gather. They asked me questions about Turkey and the current situation. I told them about Turkey. Since the theme of the meeting did not cover political content, I tried to answer questions in an economic sense. I must say that Turkey is a great focus of attention. At this meeting, I witnessed it once more.

While assessing the situation in Turkey, rather than telling about the difficult times or existing problems, I wanted to put my thoughts on paper in a forward-looking, future-oriented manner. Actually, as a business person, I think that we should assess our country in this context and globalize out of this perspective. Of course, I am not saying we have no problems; we have challenges and problems, but we must focus on solving them. We owe a lot to Turkey and the future of Turkey and we have a responsibility. I think we should reflect our trust in our country to the outside world.

Life is a continuous exercise of problem solving

It would not be wrong to describe our present time as a “difficult period” for our country. In the short term, we may face some economic problems, but this does not change the fact that Turkey’s future in the medium-long term is bright.

Considering the future of countries in the medium and long term is a much more accurate approach. Turkey is a strong country. We have a young population that is open to innovative thinking and has a relatively high level of education. Our average age is 29. Again, we have a robust financial system built upon the lessons learned from a crisis. And the growth or potential of a country cannot be measured by its performance in one year only. Fluctuations may occur from time to time, not only in Turkey, but anywhere in the world. The important thing is to confront the problems and overcome them without ever being pessimistic about our future, and without forgetting “what we actually are and what we are capable of” or “who we are” as the old saying goes.

There is a saying in Turkey: “One cup of coffee is worth 40 years of friendship.” In other words, long-term relationships are essential for social life and business. For this, Siemens began operations in Turkey more than 150 years ago. Here, we are considered a Turkish company with German roots.

Since the early beginnings of our activities, Siemens has touched many lives and been a pillar in the development of the Turkish industry. We are among the first companies to bring power to Turkish cities, lights to Ottoman Palaces, and television infrastructure to households. In 1913, Siemens introduced Turkey’s first railway tram. So it is especially meaningful to us that exactly 100 years later, [Remark 1] in 2013, Siemens has delivered the first very-high-speed train to the Turkish government.

Because it bridges West and East, Turkey is an attractive hub for production and services. As the world’s 16^th largest economy and a member of the EU Customs Union, Turkey offers many opportunities for German companies. One of Turkey’s greatest assets is its educated and dynamic workforce of 4.5 million young people who embrace the new. A new generation of self-confident businesswomen and businessmen is growing, and they move fluently between the cultures of the East and West. Diversity has many facets other than a young population. One factor that differentiates Turkey is its large population of female engineers, lawyers, and project managers. Cultivating such diverse intellectual capital is essential for success in Turkey.

Awareness of cultural dimensions is crucial when doing business in any country. Although in many other countries we speak the same business language, we learned that speaking the same language does not mean sharing a culture. Turkey has been undergoing a transition of re-inventing itself, trying to find its own path into the future. Although the West provides a crucial benchmark, Turkey’s new generation, in particular, is finding its path to the future by combining the values and cultures of the East and West.

Turks are spontaneous, enthusiastic, and ready to take risks; contemplating strategy comes somewhat later. This might be different from what Germans are used to; however, this gives the Turks an advantage of time and speed in doing business. German companies first think about the strategy risks and then move forward. Not surprisingly, they are sometimes thought to be slower-moving, cautious, and hesitant. To succeed in a country like Turkey, it is crucial to combine strengths, cultures, and values without prejudice.

With three production facilities and 3,000 employees in Turkey, Siemens has contributed to value-added production and R&D and established a service network all over the country. We believe our long-term success depends on understanding Turkey’s business culture and gaining the trust of customers and society there while working hard for sustainability. In addition, this success also depends on believing in ourselves, in what we do, and in being able to think outside the box to reach targets.

Ensuring one’s sustainability in a country also depends on what you give back to its society.  At Siemens, we support the higher education of promising students in Turkish universities. In providing scholarships for students in engineering disciplines, we give priority to female and disabled students. We have established an Arts Exhibition Center in Istanbul to support young artists, and we provide scholarships for young opera artists in Turkey to continue their education in Europe. Just as Siemens has advanced the development of Turkish industry, we are proud to be part of the country’s cultural developments.

As a German company that has enjoyed success in Turkey for 150 years, our recommendation to other German companies is to achieve sustainable business in Turkey. Recently, the Turkish economy has transformed into a more open and liberal economy, and business is becoming less bureaucratic. In a developing economy like Turkey’s, companies must adapt to changes in the business climate on time and with the right actions, which can be achieved by sustainability.