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The Other Matters |
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Hasankeyf
What a pity, sacrificing a place which has thousands years' past with a dam which has only 50-100 years lifetime.
First, we lost Belkis (Zeugma) and now it is the turn of Hasankeyf (Hýsn-ý Keyfa).
Or have we lost our mutual mind?
The Bread "Lavas" (Lavash)
Have you ever known that Turkey had started importing the bread "Lavas" from China too? Free trade is a must, especially for removing the disequilibrium among the welfare levels of the nations… However, should even the bread "Lavas" be imported in a country like Turkey just because of its cheapness?
If Turkey is in the situation of importing even the bread "Lavas", it means that there are many things that should be thought about.
Probably, firstly, this matter should be taken into account by the importers of the bread "Lavas" who are in pursuit of getting short-term profits…?
Capable of Living Together
We should learn living together in Turkey by regarding each other's differences.
Unfortunately last events are so startling. There are some efforts aiming to lead conflicts among the peoples in Turkey through some artificial agendas.
Moreover, there are some classifications in the society such as secular-antisecular, supporter of prophet Hz. Mohammed (S.A.W.)-supporter of caliph Hz. Ali (R.A.), black-white, green-red etc... which are not positive behaviours.
We all need calmness…
It is a need growing the buds of peace and brotherhood instead of seeding grudge and hate among the communities.
Please let's have common sense and invite all people around us to coolness.
We should always bear in mind that we needed such an environment in the past, and need in the time being, and will need in the future.
Autumn Syndromes
Beginning of autumn in Turkey economy, depending upon the ending of holiday and starting of educational term, is a period in which production and activities almost in all areas increase. There become some floatings in financial indicators such as inflation-foreign exchange-interest-stock exchange in this process. Their positiveness or negativeness have close relation with politic developments as well.
Some people/institutions form various scenarios with the beginning of autumn in Turkey. Such negativenesses are described as "September Syndrome" and they are not in favour of Turkey since the outcomes of these scenarios anticipate a worse future in which there are more and too complicated problems.
It is so difficult understanding the efforts of such people/institutions to form those kinds of syndrome scenarios. Is not it better to offer more "hope promising measures" for removing the obstacles in front of economy instead?
As we are in the same ship, it seems better to offer necessary measures to take action for moving this ship (Turkey economy) in a more appropriate way.
Social Responsibility
Social responsibility could be based on two essences roughly:
1) Individual responsibility
2) Institutional responsibility
It is among the main duties of individuals and institutions, by considering the consciousness of “social responsibility”, to think about the problems faced and to find solutions accordingly for moving their society forward in terms of cultural, legal, political, economic aspects and so on. Otherwise, it is impossible mentioning about the society, in this context, mutual consciousness, and ideas.
Individuals and institutions in Turkey should be in aware of this fact and urge theirselves to behave accordingly as well. When doing this, however, they must avoid the behaviors that will harm the social structure, disturb the peace environment and result in reactionarism in all aspects. It is difficult having responsibility and fulfilling its requirements. But the important one, in spite of everything, is performing this.
We are obliged to behave as responsible individuals and institutions. Is there another way of progression free from doubt for much more centuries?
Domestic-Foreign Product
The traders in Turkey had been hesitating to reply the question 'What is the origin of this product?' as 'domestic' by recent times. Moreover, some of them could say 'It is not domestic but European' instead of replying as 'It is domestic', the product was domestic though. It is observed that there have been some considerable changes concerning this matter.
Particularly the entrance of Chinese low level products into Turkey’s market and the increase in the quality of Turkey’s products have played role in this change. It can be stated that domestic products are more quality than more of Chinese ones although they are less quality than more of European ones. As a matter of fact, nowadays, increasing number of traders in Turkey answer the question 'What is the origin of this product?' as 'It is not Chinese but domestic' without mentioning the word 'European'.
Of course everybody should be aware that this process may not last forever. Therefore, quality increase in the domestic production have to be carried on and the matter of 'brand making' should be given importance. Otherwise, reply of the question might be 'It is not domestic but Chinese'.
National-Nonnational Capital
Depending upon globalization, it is witnessed the swift movement of financial sources around the world. It is performed both in cash for 'interest, foreign exchange, and stock exchange market' and as non-cash for 'factory, workshop, and office'. The first one is short term whereas the latter is medium-long term. These are described as 'hot-cold money' as well. However, it is the latter one that has the main contribution for the economies.
Turkey has also become one of the attractive destinations in terms of medium-long term foreign investments due to its partial political stability, appropriate conditions, and proportionally low costs. Of course some people are in favour of these investments, some are against of though.
It is not wise to be in favour of foreign investment randomly, however, it does not seem the right way to be against of them too. Because Turkey has many problems to be solved, and solutions of some of them depend on the revenues that would be earned through those foreign investments. It is obvious that the foreign investments which will be executed in suitable terms-conditions are not harmful for Turkey. And the followings are some of the matters need to be explained as well:
* If we are against of foreign investments, should the nations of the countries in which our enterpreneurs have investments be against of them too? In this context, should our enterpreneurs who have investments in Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Syria, and Iraq return back to Turkey?
* If a foreign investor could not transfer a specified amount of her/his yield, could our investors not do the same for their country? Therefore, could our enterpreneurs in England, Germany, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, and Algeria not transfer a specified amount of their revenues to Turkey?
* If Turkey does not have sufficient volume of saving and thus investment, moreover if the foreigners are not allowed to make investments in Turkey, how can the targeted revenue and economic growth be obtained?
Military Intervention and Policy, Economy, Law, Society
Turkey, as a country determined one of its aims as 'reaching the contemporary world', meets some difficulties in this process. In this context; some political, economic, legal, socio-cultural events may result in reverse conclusions to this understanding. Thus, Turkey becomes far away from the contemporary world. As of its results, a military intervention is also among such events, moreover, it is at the top of them.
Democracy, as one of the essential values of the contemporary world, is a managerial understanding which both developed and developing countries endeavour to adopt and apply. As a developing country, in Turkey too, this understanding is being settled. However, military interventions, as can be defined classically 'almost in ten year period', are threat in front of progression of democracy. Therefore, such interventions (right or wrong) result various negative effects and cause some vicious circles in political, economic, legal, and socio-cultural areas. To make concrete, some of the said negativenesses are as follows:
Political Negativenesses:
* There can not be long-life parties in political arena as it is in economic life in terms of lack or less of long-life companies.
* Long term political stability can not be constituted.
* Depending upon non-existence of long term political stability, powerful governments can not be formed and developments and dashes compatible with the expectations of a community who wants to integrate the world can not be obtained.
* Because of political instability, an environment may get ready for a new military intervention.
Economic Negativenesses:
* Following military interventions, substantial opposite movements may happen in short term. At first stage, such movements have negative effects on hot-cold money and some other negativenesses may follow them.
* Interest rates may raise severely and depending on such increase, the cost of investment increases.
* Outcome of these negativenesses are the decreases in investments and employment.
* Foreign investors have anxiety about their investments and thus, new investors are not willing to enter the market.
* The future expectations of the enterpreneurs may shift from positive to negative side.
* The peace between employee and employer may be damaged.
* Equilibrium in the monetary and capital markets is removed.
* Damages/losses in the economy may open a gate for a new military intervention.
Legal Negativenesses:
* Initially, the elected organs, the national assembly holding legislation power and the government holding executive power, are discharged, which means the infringement of rights of the community.
* Discharged people/institutions may be subjected to unfair treatments.
* Various parts/institutions of the community may be subjected to unjust behaivours.
* Spoiled internal peace environment as a result of unjust treatments may cause new military interventions.
Socio-Cultural Negativenesses:
* Positive expectations of society turn to adverse.
* Future intentions-plans may be given up or be postponed. For instance, marriage plans may be delayed or cancelled.
* Depending upon negative economic conditions, there may be a widespread 'unemployment psychology' which has very bad reflections in social life.
* Feelings such as grudge-hatred etc. may be grown in stratums of the community. Consequently; dialogue between the cultures, combination, and indulgence may leave their place to social indigestion, non endurance, and violation.
* These kinds of events may put a new military intervention on the agenda.
The number of such negativenesses may be increased. As a requirement of academical view, it can be said that a military intervention may be necessary in same cases. However, when considered in 'opportunity-cost analysis' and 'cause-effect relation', it should be emphasized that the negative sides of a military intervention is much more than its positive sides. They can not even be compared in the same manner. As a matter of fact, if there are some problems in a community, the solution of them should not be a military intervention but mutual understanding and co-operation of the people and institutions.
Last but not the least, beside the military managements holding power in some African and Latin American countries, let us note the countries preferred (?) military management in 2006: Thailand, Bangladesh…
In case of choosing (?) the same management style, all people and institutions have to evaluate very well in which statue Turkey will be perceived in the world.
Economic War
As of the middle of 2007, it is obvious that there are some efforts for dragging Turkey into a war. To a war (to a moor) which benefits are not clear, however, of which expenses are evident to a great extent…
Recently there are some struggles, that is wars, in various areas:
a) Military war:
Such a war is executed between the military forces of the countries and they are destructive. They are ‘hot’ wars and the victorious side also looses something absolutely.
b) Socio-cultural war:
This is a kind of war which can be described as ‘fights between the cultures’. Such wars appear as interventions against lifestyles. They involve imperial targets and can be ‘hot’ whereas can be ‘cold’.
c) Economic war:
This sort of war occurs as power demonstration in economic area with ‘cold’ characteristic and is related with machinery-equipment, accumulation of knowledge, human capital etc. of a country. By the advantages provided through such factors, it is aimed to be one of the leading countries in the world both in economic and political aspects.
Turkey has no luxury of participating in military and socio-cultural wars under these circumstances. However, if it is desired to struggle in anyway, it seems more reasonable to perform the economic one.
* We have no luxury of a military war since it seems endless in negative meaning.
* We have no luxury of a socio-cultural war, because as a country we have no imperial targets.
* In this case, it seems more reasonable that we should focus on an economic war. That is, we should allocate our machinery-equipment, accumulation of knowledge, human capital etc. for the struggle in economic area. Thus, we will be able to put our country into among the world leading countries in terms of economical and political sides.
This aim is compatible with the saying of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk ‘Peace at home, peace in the world’ as well.
We do not want war, we say ‘NO WAR!’
We wish peace, only peace…
As Benjamin Franklin says; ‘There is no goodness of the war and badness of the peace’.
Sport Economics and Foreign Trade
Share of an economic sector in foreign trade is one of the elements considered in evaluations related to its contribution to economy. In this context, some evaluations can be made through import and export volumes of the sector. The general expectation is that export volume of the sector should be more than its import volume although they vary according to the characteristics of the sectors.
When sport, as a sub service sector, taken into account in terms of its share in foreign trade, it is not possible to make exact evaluations. The leading reasons for such a situation can be identified as follows:
1) These services are not considered in academic meaning,
2) They are not taken into account as sole fields of activity by theirselves,
3) There are some shortages in datas related to these services,
4) They are not executed in the frame of "import-export".
There are not complete datas on football, basketball, valleyball, wrestling, handball, swimming, tennis, karate do, tae kwon do, ju do, atletism, chess etc. in terms of their trade volume and share in foreign trade. However, the high volume of trade transactions executed by these activities can not be neglected.
In this context, for instance, football sector can be studied. As it is in all over the world, there are many foreign players in Turkey's teams. That is, a substantial volume of import is performed in this sector and the monetary dimension of these transactions might be on very high side. However, export of Turkey, that is transfer of players and trainers abroad, is very low and its monetary dimension is also so less that can not be compared with of export. Thus, it is apparent that materialistic contribution of these services to the economy is in less level. It shows that there are some shortages related to the matter.
If import expenses of an economic activity is more than its export revenues, it is necessary to take some actions accordingly. What can be done for this purpose?:
a) Either the import should be restricted,
b) Or the foreign trade gap should be removed by increasing export volume.
The first measure is not compatible with the liberal economic logic. Because, there is risk of reciprocation by other countries towards the first restricting country. Therefore, that country itself will also be affected negatively and its export will decrease too.
Then, the second choice seems better, that is export volume of the country must be increased. In this context, the revenue which will be earned by transferring sportsmen who will be trained in different fields of activity and the trainers abroad, will make significant contributions for the economy. For this purpose, there should be high quality products (sportsmen) that will lead competitiveness in the world markets and, by increasing the number of these sportsmen, they should be marketed-exported.
When considered in terms of 'representation', the best way for a country is activating in the world markets (leagues, championships etc.) through utilization of its own resources (sportsmen). However, as import can not be restricted, it seems more logical for an economy to make necessary production (by training sportsmen and trainers) and intensifying in their export. No doubt that all these activities should be executed in an institutional and systematic way for the greatest accomplishment.
Privatization of the State and Economic Development
Turkey launched with drastic changes in the new millennium. These years, together with intensive effects of global economic crisis, have been birthday of new beginnings in several areas simultaneously.
While Turkey, starting from the said years, has continued its economic privatization process intensively, privatization process in the phenomenon 'state' has been carried on as well.
The concept 'state' with the definition of 'the organization shape of people living in the same geography' has, somehow or other, not been able to be realized as desired for people in Turkey. As a matter of fact, when saying 'state', the following concepts are mentioned: the top, absolute superiority, solidity, unchanging, certain rules, elitism, etc.
There is a close relation between the privatization of state and economic development. It is very difficult to reach aimed economic development if a state is not privatized in terms of its institutional structure, that is, if it is not integrated with its people and the barriers between itself and its people are not minimized. As long as the integration between state and people is not obtained, it is almost impossible removing lowbreaking, bribery and corruption. Therefore, economic development could not be realized as desired.
What do people who are in peace with their states do? A few of them are as follows:
* First of all, the sense of 'posession' improves and in this context, the conscience of liking-respecting 'the country-the citizens' increases.
* Since there will be confidence in the state, the people will try to not involve in the lowbreaking, bribery and corruption.
* Tax payment will be at the highest level.
* In economic activities, the people will not act solely individually but also socially.
* Savings and hence investments will shift up as parallel to the raise in the income.
There have been many improvements in the privatization of the state, that is, in the integration of the state-the people in Turkey recently. Depending upon these achievements, brilliant GNP ratios are also realized. If this relation tends positively, Turkey will perform similar GNP ratios and reach wholly economic development.
Tourism, Environment and Saving
Tourism has the biggest share in the services sector in Turkey. According to Statistical Institute of Turkey (TUIK) and Central Bank of Turkey (TCMB), number of the visitors to Turkey is 27 million 215 thousand and the net revenue gained through this sector is USD 15.2 billion. Income of tourism sector has the most contribution in reducing the deficit of current transactions.
Although it is a vitally important field of activity for Turkey, there is a large amount of wasteful use of resources in tourism sector. In this context, there is wasteful of consumption in many items such as from food to water, from heating to cleaning. It is possible to witness the dimension of wasteful of consumption especially in the upper star hotels. Excessive consumption has a positive relation with environmental pollution as well. Therefore, some serious actions for preventing such negativenesses should be taken inevitably.
Actually, these kinds of negativenesses are available not only in Turkey but all over the world in different quality and quantity. As a matter of fact, realizing these negativenesses, many hotels are taking some measures for reducing wasteful of consumption. For this purpose, they encourage the clients for consuming less water, cleaning materials etc. Some hotels, considering the matter in terms of "corporate responsibility", follow related policies. For instance, one can see these kinds of warnings in the increasing number of hotels:
"Hotels all over the world, on a daily basis, are washing a large quantity of towels with a massive quantity of cleaning materials, which tends to pollute the environment. Should you wish to contribute to protection of the environment, kindly hang your used towels on the towel rock to indicate that you will re-use them and place the towels you want to be changed in a suitable place."
Tourism businesses in Turkey should also take necessary actions for preventing the wasteful of consumption. In this context, the following measures can be taken:
* The customers should always be kept informed for less consumption.
* A less consuming tap system should be installed.
* The water in swimming pool should be cleared instead of being changed frequently.
* The principal of "sufficient choice" should be applied instead of "multi choice" in the meals.
* A minimum level polluting heating technology should be preferred.
* In the room; soap, shampoo etc. should not be replaced unless they were fully used.
* More than one usage of the towel etc. should be encouraged.
* Less energy consuming lighting materials should be used.
It is possible to keep more of tourism income in the economy by decreasing the expenses through taking such measures.
As an essential reality; either we finish our resources quickly by going on excessive consumption, or we sustain for a longer period by optimum use of them. It is completely up to us…
Bread and Waste
Bread is one of the main food items with the highest share in household's consumption in Turkey. As one of the main food items, its price elasticity of demand is low (<1). Therefore, upward or downward changes in its price does not affect its consumption.
Since bread is one of the main food items and has a certain share in the butgets of low level income households, increase in its price is a matter of objection in Turkey. Parallel to raise in the population of a family, the significance of bread goes up in the budget.
As of middle of 2008, there have been some alterations in the production and price of bread. In this context, some standards were set for unit weight of bread. Pointing at increase in the expenditures, some arrangements in its price were made as well. Thus, the price increases resulted objections again.
Beside the objections to increases in bread's price, there is a crucial point which almost removes the rightness of such criticisms; waste... Unfortunately, there is a huge waste in bread consumption in Turkey.
Bread wastage is available at commercial entities such as restaurant, hotel as well as at school, dormitory and especially at home. The most interesting of all, bread is wasted not only in areas where high level income people live but also in places where low level income families live. As a matter of fact, there are certain amounts of bread left in rubbish tips. Moreover, one can see remainings of bread, simit (roll of bread in the shape of a ring), flaky pastry, pie etc. thrown in the streets.
Reactions to increases in bread's price should be deemed reasonable, however, the dimension of waste is extremely important. Waste prevention is not possible only by warnings of public-private institutions but advices of parents to their children are also required provided that they personally care about the matter.
Aquatic Struggles
Shortage in water parallel to climate change and global heating interests everybody closely. Everyone both lacking and in excess of water are affected or will be affected in one way or the other. Countries lacking water are already been affected negatively. However, countries in excess of water will also be affected indirectly soon. Because if these countries could not agree on the same point, an aquatic war seems inevitable. Therefore, sustainable consumption of water does not concern only the people of countries lacking water but also those in excess of water.
Some measures to be taken in this context in terms of state-institution and household are as follows:
a) State:
* This matter should be taken into agenda in international debates before aquatic struggles start.
* Agreements concerning sustainable consumption of water should be undersigned by all countries and measures must be taken accordingly.
b) Institution:
* Technologies for removing or minimizing the water leakages should be used.
* Technologies for recylcing water at maximum level must be used.
* Intensive informative programmes (written, verbal, audio-visual) for safe consumption of water should be organized.
* Necessary technological preparations for obtaining water of drinking-irrigation from the sea should be done.
c) Household:
* Water must be consumed as needed. It should be understood that water is no longer an item which can be consumed as much as desired by paying money.
* Water saving equipments (tap, laundry-dishwasher machines etc.) should be used.
* In the bathroom, one should not use basin or its usage should be minimized.
* Water in a 2x4x1.5 meter pool corresponds to the need of a 4 person family for one week. Therefore, one should give up using pool or its usage must be minimized.
By "The Law of Scarcity" in the Economics, it is asserted that "rare items are valuable" and example of diamond and water is studied. In this context, it is stated that water is less valuable although it is a very basic requirement for human being whereas diamond is more valuable which is used only for personal satisfaction. It seems that one day all diamonds in the world would not be able to reach the value of even a small drop of water. Therefore, everybody should do his/her best for sustainable consumption of water before that day comes.