Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

TOBB will construct a 40 classroom Education Building and a 300 capacity dormitory. The protocol regarding the construction of the High School was signed between TOBB and the Hatay Governorship.

Attending the meeting were TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, TOBB Board Vice President Faik Yavuz, TOBB Board Member and Antakya Commerce Exchange President Mehmet Ali Kuseyri, Hatay Governor Celalettin Lekesiz, Antakya Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Hikmet Çinçin, İskenderin Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Halil Şahin and Reyhanlı Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Nihat Kılıç.

Stating that they have adopted investing in education as their duty as TOBB, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We must temper our young population very carefully with education. That is why we must continually invest in our people. Any investment in education is investment in people; investment made in people is the greatest investment of all. I can’t emphasize this enough: there is risk inherent in every investment in the world. You could lose on any investment. Investment made in people will never leave you at a loss. You will win and so will the country.”

- “Turkey’s biggest problem is the lack of vocation”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkey’s biggest problem right now is not “unemployment” but “lack of vocation” and emphasized that at the root of the lack of vocation problem lies a lack of education.

Stating that today, the greatest capital is not gold or oil but educated people, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We have a saying, ‘the salvation of a single person is the salvation of the world.’ That is how important a single person is for us. The pen is now mightier than the sword for changing the world. We know how fast countries powerful in education like Ireland, Japan, Korea and Singapore have come to the forefront, we watch and analyze them. Using this approach, TOBB has, starting on the elementary level, started to contribute in any way it can. We have put in 70 million liras in 22 provinces towards the construction of schools. We will start constructions in 6 more provinces.

- Justice Minister Ergin: The light at the end of the tunnel has appeared

Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin stated that the most beneficial, smartest investment to be made in regards to the future is education and the investment made on people and said that TOBB has been contributing to education in the four corners of the country as befits the social responsibility it has.

Emphasizing that Turkey has been taking concrete steps towards relaying the resources it produces to the generations to come, Ergin stated that a judicial system which engenders trust is necessary in order to have the investment environment in Turkey to develop.

Minister Ergin said, “Our judicial system must engender trust in the capital directed to Turkey, so that investors can act with confidence to bring business and bread to these lands.”

- Hatay Governor Lekesiz: The cost of ignorance is much more

Hatay Governor Celalettin Lekesiz, drawing attention to the importance of fostering human resources, said, “There are 2 views on actualizing projects distinct to developed and developing countries. Developing countries state 80% finances and 20% people as necessities for success in an important project. This is the reverse of what you would find in developed countries. It is frightfully important to educate people well. The costs of education may be expensive but the cost of ignorance is much more.”

Stating that humanity has in changing rapidly in the last 20-25 years, Lekesiz said that Turkey has been supporting the pursuit of this change with all of its institutions and organizations.
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