Volume 7 Issue 30 - The Special Europe Issue / Germany - Austria by Turk of America

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INDEX Publisher: TurkofAmerica, Inc. General Manager: Ömer Günefl – omer@turkofamerica.com Editor-in-Chief: Cemil Ozyurt – cemil@turkofamerica.com Creative Director: Serdar fiahin Page Design: Sinem Ertafl Editor: Patricia Russo, Nancy Öztürk. Editor of Photography: Ada Köseda¤ News Center: Ayfle Önal Zambo¤lu, Müge Mengü, Ali Ç›nar, Hande Sarantopoulos, Ilknur Gurdal Fieldhouse, Jennifer Eaton Gökmen, Melda Akasel, Ayhan Kay. Support Team: Halim Özyurt, Demet Cabbar, Sinan Ertu¤rul, Caner Aver, Cem fientürk, Y›ld›z Özcan. Advising Committee: Ali Günertem, Egemen Ba¤›fl, Ferhan Geylan, Güney Adak, G. Lincoln McCurdy, Mahmut Topal, Mehmet Ali Özkan, Mehmet Çelebi, Tolga Ürkmezgil.

14 THE ROLLING MILL SUPPLIER FOR STEEL MILLS: GERD WOLFF Gerd Wolff works with many iron and steel factories, among which are the world giants. Bekir Sunman, a Turkish entrepreneur who joined up with Klaus Konrad to purchase Gerd Wolff in 1998.

16 GERMANY PRODUCES AND EMS TRANSPORTS

EMS, which handles most of the overland transportation

between Germany and Iran, was founded by businessman fieref T›rafl in 1985. EMS employs approximately 200 people in the transportation sector.

26 THE TURKISH FOOD GIANT OF GERMANY Baktat was established in 1986 by the brothers Mustafa, Kadir, Ali, H. ‹brahim, and Muharrem Baklan. Mustafa

Main Office Turk of America, Inc. 730 Fifth Avenue, The Crown Building Suite 916 New York, NY 10019 Tel: +1 (212) 659 7758 Fax: +1 (212) 659 7805 info@turkofamerica.com Representatives in the U.S.A: California (Los Angeles): Barbaros Tapan btapan@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (213) 924 8027 Connecticut: Ali Ç›nar – acinar@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (203) 722 4339 Massachusetts: Mustafa Aykaç – maykac@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (857) 205 8318 Rochester, NY: Ersoy Y›ld›z – eyildiz@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (585) 266 1356 San Fransisco, CA: Ayfle Önal Zambo¤lu – aozamboglu@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (650) 938 1764 Texas: Neriman Yüce – nyuce@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (817) 283 0179 Netherlands: Yasin Ya¤c› – yyagci@turkofamerica.com Tel: +31 (624) 66 92 23 Australia: Süheyl Yekenkurul – syekenkurul@turkofamerica.com

Baklan, the second son of Ad›güzel Baklan – a Turk who came to Germany to work in a foundry – was only 16 in 1972 when he came to Germany.

46 BERLIN: THE CITY THAT INTRODUCED DONER TO THE WORLD Remzi Kaplan, President of Kaplan Doner, is one of the businessmen who discovered East Berlin after the fall of the wall.

48 GERMANY’S NEW JEWS: TURKS It all began with an article penned by Prof. Faruk fien, Director of the German Turkey Study Center Foundation, entitled, “Europe’s New Jews.”

54 THE THIRD SIEGE OF VIENNA

Turkish entrepreneurs in Vienna, the capital of Austria, focus mainly on the wholesale foods and gastronomy industries, just as their cousins in Germany do. Do & Co Restaurants and Catering, Etsan, Orient, and Hürpafl are some of the leading Austrian Turkish companies.

64 THE LARGEST TURKISH FOOD COMPANY IN AUSTRIA Macro Group, which was founded by Hüseyin Ünal, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Macro Group,

TURKEY General Coordinator: Nuri Özyurt – nozyurt@turkofamerica.com Marketing & Sales: turkiye@turkofamerica.com Subscription and Distribution: Nispetiye Caddesi Peker Sokak Aky›ld›z Apt. No:26/4 1.Levent Istanbul, Turkey Tel:+ 90 212 282 37 11

has 13 supermarkets in Vienna, varying between 600-1200 square meters in size, as well as three furniture stores.

66 THE MAN WHO INTRODUCES CEYLON TEA TO EUROPEAN MARKETS

Orient, under its own brand name, provides all European markets, Austria being first on the list, with every kind of dried food. In 1986 Bakan became the first businessman

PRINT: Promat Bas›m Yay›n San. ve Tic. A.fi. Adile Naflit Bulvar› 122. Sokak No:8 34513 Esenyurt - ‹stanbul - Turkey Telefon: + 90 (212) 622 63 63-pbx Fax: + 90 (212) 456 63 73 E-Mail: info@promat.com.tr

to import Ceylon tea to Europe.

68 AUSTRIA’S VEGETABLE & FRUIT KING Presently, the Onur Group companies owned by Haydar Güner are Austria’s number one vegetable-fruit import dealers.

All articles in the magazine are translated by Citlembik Ltd. Tel: +90 (212) 292 3032 www.citlembik.com.tr Cover Photo: ??????? Turk of America is a member of Independent Press Association.

70 WEDCO: THE INDUSTRIAL PRECISION CUTTING TOOL

Wedco High Quality Tooling, established by Edip Bay›z›tl›o¤lu in 1991, controls 10% of the Austrian market in production of precision cutting tools and dies.

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FROM EDITOR Cemil Özyurt cemil@turkofamerica.com

SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GERMANY AND THE USA me may not know any English. • Speed limits on the Autobahn can be effortlessly broken in Germany, while speeding in the US and not getting caught by the cops takes a whole lot of effort.

or the past three years we have been regularly publishing special European editions of our TURKOFAMERICA magazine, giving us the opportunity to test the pulse of the European world of business and commerce. By meeting with Turkish representatives from the worlds of business in the USA and in Europe we have also had the chance to see and experience some of the differences between the “old” and the “new” world.

This edition has allowed us to conduct our own research and observations and thus to compare and contrast the US and Germany. Here’s some of what we discovered: • While people in Germany seem to live to work, Americans are more likely to work to live. • Foreigners living in Germany are perceived as being outsiders who upset the balance of the country and as people who do not integrate into the country. In the USA foreigners are seen as people whose differing cultures enrich the country. • The welfare system in Germany and the opportunities it

provides can easily be taken advantage of. The USA doesn’t even have a welfare system that people can abuse. • Even fourth generation migrants in Germany are seen as being “foreigners.” In the USA the second generation son of a Kenyan immigrant can even be nominated for the highest office in the land. • While the Italians introduced pizza to the Americans, thus saving them from starving, the Turks brought döner to the Germans, providing the nourishment for of a healthy generation of Germans. Turks play a critical role in the food sector in Germany. • While a Turk who immigrated to the US in 1990 has become the owner of a company that brings in 10-20 million dollars each year, many Turks who immigrated to Germany in the 1960s still haven’t learned the procedures for setting up a company. • Germans treat the Turks that live in their country much like the Americans treat the Mexicans who live in theirs. The first thing an American thinks of when hearing the world “Mexico” is Taco Bell,

while when the Germans think of Turks they immediately think of döner. • When we meet with a German politician the conversation almost immediately turns to the subject of integration and the problems faced by immigrants. When we speak with an American politician the conversation is generally about Medicare, Social Security, Iraq and Afghanistan. • Turks who have lived in Germany for forty years and are still not German citizens tend to be proud of this fact, while Turks living in the States want to become citizens as soon as possible. • You pay the same money it would cost to go by train from Hamburg to Cologne in Germany to fly from New York to Miami in the US on a 3 hour flight. • Baggage carts at the Düsseldorf Airport are free, while it will cost you 3 dollars to use a cart in New York. • If your car breaks down in Germany you can communicate with the repair truck driver in English, while in the USA the bus driver who drives you ho-

• High school graduates in Germany all speak enough English to get by, whereas high school graduates in the US may not even be able to point out Germany on a world map!! • You can meet your friends in Germany at the train station and drink until you are all sizzled. You can only do this in your dreams in the States. • While it is considered normal in Germany for a police officer to ask to see your identification papers, whether at the station or on the street, other than at the airport, you are almost never asked to hand over a passport in the US. • Trains in Germany will take you to even the most distant corners of the country, while in the States you cannot leave home without your private car. • In Germany as a tourist you can only stay in Germany for the period of your ticket. In the States the officials on duty at the entry points decide how long you can stay. • Germans you happen to meet on the road are pleased when you speak to them in English. Americans speak only English so they simply assume that you will as well. œ TurkofAmerica • 07

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KEMAL CAKIR

THE NEW FAVORITE OF INVESTORS: NURSING HOMES There are approximately 10,000 nursing care centers in Germany. They send nurses to homes of people who need care. profession during the course of his practical training in a hospital in 1989. He says that although nursing is not popular among males, he thought it was appropriate for him and decided to make it his profession. Çak›r, upon completing training in nursing in 1993, started to work in the emergency section

Kemal Çak›r is one of the young entrepreneurs who is aware of the need to fill the gap in nursing sector.

önen, Germany – The Turkish immigration to Germany started with the signing of an agreement in 1961. The move, which had a slow pace in the beginning, increased as per arrangement between Turkey and the European Economic Community in 1963. While there were 6800 Turkish people living in Germany in 1961, with the arrival of new immigrants the number went up to over 1 million in 1975 and climbed to over 2 million in 1998. Presently, the Turkish population has reached 2.7 million with continuing immigration involving arrival of families and marriages.

With the aging of a generation, the need for organizations in different sectors that provide service to the Turkish population has been increasing. Among these the nursing homes and nursing care centers are of utmost priority.

Those who arrived in the country in 1960’s in their youth are now over the age of 70. Among the first arrivals there are now 95,000 people at the age of retirement.

Kemal Çak›r is one of the young entrepreneurs who is aware of the need to fill the gap in this sector. Çak›r, who was born in 1971 in Germany, decided to choose the care of the elderly as a

12 • TurkofAmerica

Presently, there is no nursing home run by a Turkish administration in Germany. The only active nursing home that offers services under the name of a “Turkish Nursing Home” is in Berlin-Kreuzberg and is run by Germans. It has 155 beds, opened in January 2007 and changed its name to Turkish Nursing Home after one year.

and five years later, in 1999, opened his own nursing care center called Pflegezentrum Çak›r Health Center. The inclusion of nursing care insurance in the social system by the German government had a significant effect on Çak›r’s initiative. Under the new law, the government supports the home care of patients. There are approximately 10,000 nursing care centers in Germany. They send nurses to homes of people who need care. There are only five nursing care centers owned by Turkish people. These centers, other than Çak›r’s in Bönen, near Dortmund, are in Gelsenkirchen, Essen, Hamburg and Berlin. The amounts covered by the patients’ insurance and their categories are designated as first, second and third class by the government. The patients requiring care for 45, 90, 180 minutes or

longer per visit are considered to be in the first, second and third groups, respectively. The insurance of patients in these groups is charged 420, 980 and 1470 Euro per month, in that order. The Pflegezentrum Çak›r Health Center, with 33 nurses, offers services to 80 patients, 10 of whom are children and two of whom need critical care. Çak›r states that in a country where 2.7 million Turkish people reside it should be possible to increase the number of nursing care centers and the investors should be interested in and supportive of this endeavor. THERE IS A NEED FOR NURSING HOMES No matter how contradictory to Turkish customs and traditions the idea of a nursing home is, there is an ever-growing need for them in Germany and there are no active Turkish nursing homes as of yet. Çak›r states that efforts are underway.to open one for 100 patients and adds, “The Turkish community in Germany has not opened its own schools, hospitals and nursing homes and thus, has no experience in this respect. We want to initiate a project for a nursing home and set a model by bringing together people who have set their hearts on such an endeavor.” It is also planned to extend the premises and have a section for short-term care with a 20-patient capacity. The project is expected to cost between 3-5 million. The German government provides 2012 Euro for each person being taken care of in a nursing home. Çak›r completes what he has to say by pointing out that “None of us has any experience in this type of an enterprise, but we have the knowledge and capability to be able to accomplish it.” œ

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GERD WOLFF

THE ROLLING MILL SUPPLIER FOR STEEL MILLS:

GERD WOLFF

Gerd Wolff works with many iron and steel factories, among which are the world giants.

Bekir Sunman, a Turkish entrepreneur who joined up with Klaus Konrad to purchase Gerd Wolff in 1998.

agen, Germany â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Hagen, situated in the North RhineWestphalia district in Germany, 15 km south of Dortmund, is a city mentioned in history books for its important role in metal working. The history of this particular sector in the city dates back to the 15th century.

14 â&#x20AC;˘ TurkofAmerica

At present, the city of Hagen, which grew and flourished with development of coal, iron and steel industry in the 19th century, is the 37th largest city in Germany, with a population of 200,000 people. Even though Hagen does not

have the old production plants or its previous capacity anymore, it is still possible to come across iron and steel facilities in the city. Gerd Wolff, a company that has been active since 1954, is known for its production of cold and hot rolling mills and spare parts

for iron and steel factories. The company gets its name from its German founder. It is estimated that the number of companies worldwide that are specialized in this field is around 20 and the machines manufactured by Gerd Wolff are worth 1.5 -10 million Euro.

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Bekir Sunman, a Turkish entrepreneur who joined up with Klaus Konrad to purchase Gerd Wolff in 1998, has transformed the factory which was about to go out of operation into a trademark commodity. Gerd Wolff has the special privilege of producing machinery and equipment as per financial capabilities of buyers. Generally, the acid equipment able to be afforded only by large companies at the expense of 1520 million Euro is available from Gerd Wolff for 4-5 million Euro, thanks to their designers and producers. Sunman states that due to this they receive many orders from mid-line firms. The orders in Germany are delivered within 12-15 months.

pany has another 2000 square meter installation used for assembling. The Bolender Maschinenkonstruktion GmbH (BKM), which Sunman annexed to his company in 2003, designs mill stands for cold rolling and cut-tolength, slitting and packaging lines for steel factories. The young boss says that due to advance orders the company is at its maximum capacity and cannot take orders for the next two years. In addition, the KKS company manufactures tool sets and drilling products for machining. Gerd Wolff, which exported 1.5 million Euro worth of equipment from the company and started manufacturing in Turkey in 2007, expects the value of exports to be around 3 million Euro at the end of the present year. The global turnover of four companies in Turkey, Gerd Wolff, BKM, KSS, and Gerd Wolff, is approximately 20 million Euro.

Prior to his purchase of Gerd Wolff, Sunman, who came to Germany as a student at the age of 19, graduated university with a degree in mechanical and welding engineering and then worked as a senior executive at Firma Pol, a Köln based company which produced façade materials. Sunman is still the holder of three patents for façade materials. The boss of Firma Pol, which has 15 different branches, even though originally unwilling, made an agreement with Sunman on the condition that he train two staff members on half salary. Sunman, who sustained his relationship with the former boss for 3 years after buying Gerd Wolff, points to the significance of this relationship, which is based on mutual trust. Sunman kept four welders over 75 years of age in the company without forcing them to retire. He expresses the great need for trained personnel. Sunman had his first business

Turks working in Sunman’s company represent about 5% of the total of his workforce. According to Sunman, this is due to the difficulty of finding qualified technical personnel. Despite the language disadvantage, many technically qualified and talented Poles work for the company.

Bekir Sunman with his partner Klaus Konrad.

experience with the Sunman GmbH cleaning company which he founded while still a student at the university. In addition to this company, which is still in operation, Sunman owns three different firms. Presently, he works in partnership with Konrad in Firma Pol and attributes his success in business to his principles and determination. Sunman and his partner Konrad started production at Düzce in Turkey last year under the name Gerd Wolff Ma-

kina (Gerd Wolff Mechanics) and they currently employ 85 employees at a total of four companies. Gerd Wolff works with many iron and steel factories, among which are the world giants of Hindistanl› Mittal (Mittal of India) and Ere¤li and Kardemir in Turkey. The production center in Hagen covers 3000 square meters of land, but the businessman emphasizes the fact that they hardly fit into it. The com-

Sunman tells us that so far they have been able to resolve many problems associated with machinery or parts which used to have to wait 50-60 weeks to be repaired. At one point they fixed a sixmeter long crankshaft of a ship which broke down while carrying cargo. The crankshaft was sent to them by a special airplane. And he adds: “Such accomplishments make me get more pleasure out of my work and I feel extremely happy.”œ TurkofAmerica • 15

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fiEREF TIRAfi

GERMANY PRODUCES AND EMS TRANSPORTS

EMS employs approximately 200 people in the transportation sector.

22 • TurkofAmerica

EMS, which handles most of the overland transportation between Germany and Iran, was founded by businessman fieref T›rafl in 1985.

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ormagen, Germany- According to data from the German Federal Statistics Bureau, Germany’s exports in the first three months of 2008 reached 379.1 billion dollars. This was 21.4% more than the last

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three months of 2007. The dramatic rise in Germany’s export volume from year to year has also led to an increase in transportation demands.

Germany, which exports everywhere in the world, transports its goods mostly by overland routes and railways to nearby countries. One of the large transport companies in Germany is the EMS Internationale Spedition Und Transport GmbH. EMS is located in Hackenbroich, a district of Dormagen with a population of 9,000, which is located in the center of Düsseldorf, Cologne and Mönchengladbach. EMS, which handles most of the overland transportation between Germany and Iran, was founded by businessman fieref T›rafl in 1985. The initials stand for the first letters of Emanuel, Michael and fieref. When Emanuel and Michael withdrew, the company was left to fieref T›rafl. T›rafl, a businessman from K›rflehir who came to Germany in 1972, started to work in 1976. He says, “I sacrificed myself because I am the oldest member of my family.” Initially, the company began to transport with leased tractortrailors. EMS’s business capacity enlarged when it began to collaborate with Rhenus Logistics in 1986, one of the largest transport companies in Germany. T›rafl, who paid a visit to Rhenus on November 14, 1986, was able to transfer the transportation rights to carry merchandise between Germany and Turkey and Iran to EMS. He can remember this date very well, because it was his birthday. The business granted to T›rafl by Rhenus, more or less as a birthday gift, enabled the business volume of EMS to grow rapidly.T›rafl who that year had a hired 60-truck fleet, was able to purchase his first tractor-trailor in the fourth month of 1991. Presently, EMS runs a total of 500 trucks, 100 of which are

owned by the company. MOROCCO AND SPAIN, NEW MARKETS When transportation to Iran, which initially was being carried out by 500 trucks, decreased to 50, it became evident that the company had to search for new markets. With this, EMS started overland transport to Morocco and Spain in addition to Iran. The new overland routing to Morocco includes every corner of the country. EMS employs approximately 200 people in the transportation sector. T›rafl, who also entered into the construction sector with the Art› company eight years ago, operates residential and business construction jobs in Turkey and Germany. EMS has a main office in Istanbul, as well as in Germany. The large fleet of the EMS transports 288,000 tons of freight per year. T›rafl claims that they are the largest Turkish transport company in Germany. He points out that Turkish companies own the largest transportation fleet in Europe and highlights the fact that the membership of Turkey in the European Union is of significant importance for the transportation sector. As a matter of fact, while in previous years Turkish drivers could drive tractor-trailors with German licence plates, now Germany has banned the driving of trucks with German licence plates by Turkish drivers. EMS is in the process of establishing a company in Bulgaria to surmount such difficulties. The overland transportation business in Germany is growing an average of 10% every year, in spite of attempts to diminish its contribution to transportation in general. T›rafl believes that due to Germany’s growing export volume, it is impossible to stop this growth. œ TurkofAmerica • 23

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MUSTAFA BAKLAN

THE TURKISH FOOD GIANT OF GERMANY Baktat was established in 1986 by the brothers Mustafa, Kadir, Ali, H. ‹brahim, and Muharrem Baklan

Mustafa Baklan, the second son of Ad›güzel Baklan – a Turk who came to Germany to work in a foundry – was only 16 in 1972 when he came to Germany.

annheim, Germany – In Germany, Baktat, a company that produces and distributes ready foodstuffs, is known to be the largest Turkish food company in the ethnic market. Baktat sells 1600 different products, has 12 companies and nearly 1300 employees, of whom 130 are in Europe. Exclusive of the Turkish markets, Baktat owns close to 12 thousand meters of shelf space throughout Europe.

Baktat was established in 1986 by the brothers Mustafa, Kadir, Ali, H. ‹brahim, and Muharrem Baklan. Since 26 • TurkofAmerica

1991 it has been drawing attention in Turkey, particularly with its modern installations and production-oriented investments. Baktat, which has its head office in Mannheim, Germany, presently has production plants in Manisa, ‹zmir, Çorum and Bursa. Mustafa Baklan, the second son of Ad›güzel Baklan – a Turk who came to Germany to work in a foundry – was only 16 in 1972 when he came to Germany. In 1973 he started to work as a laborer in the German firm Erwin-Fehl in Mannheim’s

Vegetable and Fruit Market Hall, where he did everything from carrying crates to unloading, packaging and wrapping. When his older brother Halil and younger brother Muharrem came to Mannheim in 1973, the number of people working in the family went up to three. The three brothers started their first serious business in 1981 when they bought a tractor trailer truck from a Dutch transport company with the 25,000 German marks they had saved between them. They used this truck to trans-

port machine parts and foodstuffs from Germany to Iran and Iraq. However, after a while they gave up this business as it did not prove very profitable. The last trade attempt of Baklan brothers, which had to do with foodstuffs, was the establishment of Bak Kardefller Gmbh. The older brother Halil Baklan went to Turkey to investigate the possibilities in the food sector. They rented a depot and began to transport Turkish foodstuffs to German markets. In 1988, they set up a plant in Sungurlu, Çorum to

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and the Global Quality Certification. Mustafa Baklan attributes the secret of their success to effective structuring and good evaluation of the market. He lays emphasis on the Turkish character: “Turks are generally practical people, but they have difficulty in putting this into action. We combined German business discipline with the practical

package dry legumes. The brothers first directed their marketing of dry foodstuffs, such as chickpeas and lentils, as well as canned foods, to Germany, but in time followed this with exports to other European countries as well. The Baklan brothers, who lost their brother Muharrem Baklan in a traffic accident in 1992, still continue the business; Mustafa and Kadir Baklan in European markets, Halil in Turkey and Ali Baklan in the USA.

Turkish mind.” Baklan states that they had also tried their luck, unsuccessfully, in the textile and confection sectors and now plan to focus on organic food products. Baklan brothers sell under trade names other than Baklat, such as Kervan and Buket, as well, and their products in the USA sell under the names of Baktat Foods, Inc and Dolphin International, LLC. œ

Baktat Canned Foods in Gemlik which was put in commission in 1995 produces all kinds of canned foods, pickles, olives and preserves. SERVICE MEDAL The contributions of the Baklan brothers to the Turkish economy and their performance in the European food sector were deemed worthy of the State Service Medal for Superior Services in 2000 and they also received, in the same year, the Gold Star Award of t h e Spanish B.I.D. Group TurkofAmerica • 27

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OPINION Cem fientürk sentuerk@zft-online.de

TWO BANKS OF EUROPE UNABLE TO COME TOGETHER he votes of France and Holland against the European Constitution showed how far the European Union is from its goal of being united in a similar manner as the United States of America, and the controversy over Eastern expansion in 2005 and 2007 has inflamed the arguments. The communication problems and the attitude of the European Union, which is composed of 27 countries and has 23 official languages, are issues frequently made the topic of humor.

Recently published are the results of an investigation that casts light on the frequently mentioned differences in economical levels and standards of life, as well as the sociocultural gap between the East and the West, the two different worlds of the old continent that have existed in the same geography for centuries. Recent surveys published under the title of “Intercultural Dialogue“ associated with the ”Eurobarometer“, a series of surveys carried out to monitor public opinion in the Eurpoean Union, reveal the differences between the nations that are candidates for membership and the discrepancies expected in living under the same roof with them. In surveys carried out throughout the 27 member countries of the European Union, members were asked if they had made personal or visual contact within the previous week with persons from different ethnic origins and religions or with anyone from other member or 28 • TurkofAmerica

non-member countries. In 15 different countries of the European Union, the highest ratio of people involved in social dialogue with persons from different ethnic origins was in the United Kingdom (64%) and Ireland (64%), with lowest ratios being in Portugal (36%), Finland (40%) and Italy (44%) . As for contact with persons of different religious affiliations, the United Kingdom (63%) was number one and Austria (58%) number two. The lowest ratios for contact with people of different religions were found in the Northern Mediterranean countries of Greece (24%), Portugal (28%), Italy (35%) and Spain (36%). Intercultural dialogue seems to be at the lowest level in the 12 countries that joined the European Union after the expansion of the European Union to Eastern countries. In these countries, which exhibit a more introverted attitude, the ratios of people who have been in contact with people of other countries with different religious affiliations and ethnic origins were found to be 22-30%, with the lowest ratio being in Poland (22%). On the other hand, in Lithuania contact with people of other ethnic origins is close to values in the Western European countries (56%). A similar picture is obtained with respect to contact with people of different religious affiliations, with the highest ratio being observed in Slovakia (44%), while the lowest percentages of dialogue with people of other religious affiliations is found in Estonia (19%) and

Latvia (23%). Those who oppose Turkey’s membership in the European Union based on religious and cultural differences should once more evaluate these results carefully. If this survey were made in Turkey what would the result be? Naturally, this is a difficult question to answer. The Turkish people who have been living more or less in tune with different cultures for many centuries would be expected to converse easily with

people of other nationalities. The enormous difficulties faced in getting a visa serve to isolate Turkish people, who have tended to follow Europe’s example since the beginning of the Republic, from the West. The elimination of visa barriers that hinder international exchange of ideas should be a priority for Turkish foreign affairs. Turkey should be given scope for its activities and should be given the same advantages as those of the member countries. œ

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TDU BERLIN

THE VOICE OF THE TURKISH BUSINESS WORLD IN BERLIN It is the voice of approximately 9000 Turkish business establishments in and around Berlin.

TDU board members are together.

erlin, where the population of Turkish emigrants living outside of Turkey is most dense, also has the oldest Turkish society for businessmen in Germany. The society, which was founded by 28 Turkish businessmen in April 1996 under the name of the Berlin Brandenburg Society of TurkishGerman Businessmen, today has 380 members. It is the voice of approximately 9000 Turkish business establishments in and around Berlin. The number of German members constitutes about 10% of the whole.

In 2006, the number of Turkish business establishments in Berlin, small and large, were 32 • TurkofAmerica

around 6800. According to data gathered by the Berlin Chamber of Commerce (IHK), the annual revenues of these establishments amounted to a total of 3.5 billion and they provided employment for over 29,000 people. Remzi Kaplan, a businessman who is the founder and the present chairman of the society, states that they serve as a bridge between the two communities of the business world. He says that the responsibilities of the society are to support Turkish employers, to present views on economic, poltical, social and cultural topics and to provide effective services. Kaplan comments that they colla-

borate on projects with competent bodies of the Assembly, Senate, Municipality, Chamber of Industry and Trade, Educational Institutions and other establishments in Berlin-Brandenburg on topics of concern for their members and the Turkish community. Kaplan, who was elected chairman at the meeting of the general assembly two years ago, collected 147 votes with his team while Nihat Sorgeç, the other candidate, received 82 votes. Kaplan states that since this was the choice of his friends, he will serve in the administration for another two years, during which time he intends to keep his promises.

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE TURKISH-GERMAN BUSINESSMEN ASSOCIATION Bahattin Kaya – Kaya Reisen GmbH Remzi Kaplan - Kaplan Dönerproduktion Diyap Sakall› – Concept Verlag M. Cevdet Öznacar – WIBU Steueeberatung GmbH Hüsnü Özkanl› – Deutscher Ring Suat Bak›r – Oyak Anker Bank Ahmet Ersöz – General Secretary Emre Kiraz – EKCON Management Consultants GmbH Adnan Öz – San Marco Ristorante Pizzeria Nihat Sorgeç – BWK Bildungswerk in Kreuzberg Mehmet Ali Dönmez – Rosenthaler Gastronomie GmbHœ

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BALANCEE PHYSIOTHERAPI

THE FIRST TURKISH PHYSICAL THERAPIST IN DORTMUND t is possible to meet people in every kind of profession among the Turkish population living in Germany. The second generation of Turks are inclined to prefer areas requiring more specialization as compared to other sectors; having the advantage of being fluent in two languages, they are able to move towards different professional areas. Ayfle Özdemir, who three years ago put in commission the first Turkish physical therapy center in Dortmund, addresses a wide group of people. She has the advantage of offering multilingual services through her staf,f composed of Palestinians, Bosnians and Poles.

physical therapy centers in Germany, supervised by the German Ministry of Health, are widely distributed and furnish services to many patients. Özdemir states that Turkish patients particularly prefer a therapist who speaks their native tongue because they feel more relaxed.

People who visit the therapist’s office are mostly those who suffer from back or knee pain. The average duration of therapy is 45 minutes. Özdemir tells us that after opening the center she continuously attended courses to update her knowledge and skills. One needs to get a three-year professional training in order to become a physical therapist in G e rmany. Such an education has to be financed. One becomes a physical therapist at the expense of 18 thousand Euro.

The young entrepreneur emphasizes that 90% of her customers are immigrants. Following the opening of Balancee Physiotherapie, two other Turkish physical therapists followed Özdemir’s lead in Dortmund in the following years. Özdemir, who provides physical therapy for nearly 40 patients per day, states that they have provided services to over 2000 patients in three years. The fee per session for private patients is 45 Euro and for those with insurance it is 35 Euro. Özdemir’s great dream is to expand what she started as a small business by collaborating with other physical therapists. Actually, the Balancee Physiotherapie did start to work in cooperation with one of the large polyclinics in Dortmund last July. The 34 • TurkofAmerica

Ayfle Özdemir was born in 1975 as the fourth daughter of a family with seven children.

Ayfle Özdemir, who provides physical therapy for nearly 40 patients per day, states that they have provided services to over 2000 patients in three years.

Özdemir tells us that one of the most important reasons for her becoming a physical therapist was her love of sports. Ayfle Özdemir was born in 1975 as the fourth daughter of a family with seven children and her father came to Germany as a worker in 1969. Özdemir’s family are originally from Ankara and apparently none of the other family members is interested in this profession. Nevertheless, Özdemir tells us that she wanted to set a good example not merely for the members of her family, but for all young Turkish female entrepreneurs.œ

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YAYLA

THE MARKET’S YOGURT LEADER Over 180 dairy and meat items produced by Yayla-Türk GmbH, which was established in 1984.

Cemal Gürkan, the operating manager of Yayla-Türk GmbH.

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refeld, Germany – “It all started with the belief that it would be possible to produce in Germany those products that Turkish immigrants would enjoy.” This is how Zekeriya Yasemin, the founder of Yayla, starts to tell the story of the Yayla corporation. Over 180 dairy and meat items produced by YaylaTürk GmbH, which was established in 1984, are found in Turkish kitchens all over Europe and particularly in Germany.

Since meat and dairy products could not be imported from Turkey in accordance with European standards, it became necessary that these be produced in European countries. The food industry was one of the initial areas of interest for Turkish entrpreneurs based in Germany. Today, companies producing dried foods, meat, and dairy products for the market serve nearly four million Turks and peoples of other nations who enjoy a similar cuisine. Besides Turkish grocery stores and markets, other large chain stores also provide Turkish food products in their department stores to attract more customers. According to the Research Center Foundation of Turkey, based in Essen, Germany, the 2.7 million Turks living in Germany spend approximately 16 billion Euro annually. Most of this is expenditure on food products. While the large Turkish food manufacturers in Germany such as Baktat, Efe F›rat, Yayla, Naml›, and Ege Türk produce a wide range of products, some other companies specialize more on specific products. A survey by Yayla-Türk carried out among its own sellers indicated that the trade names best

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known are Ege Türk,Yayla and Gazi, in that order.While Ege Türk Sausage and Gazi cheese are well-known trademarks, Yayla also produces these items. However, it should be emphasized that this survey was not carried out with scientific precision. Cemal Gürkan, the operating manager of Yayla-Türk GmbH, told us that they are the inventors of strained yogurt in Europe and Yayla ranks as the most-consumede brand. He also emphasizes that they sell 1000 tons of

Yayla yogurt, which is produced in Luxemburg, per month. Another field in which Yayla is most ambitious concerns white meat products. Gürkan, who has been working at Yayla now for nearly nine years, says that last year the company, which followed a trend of healthy growth for years, experienced a sluggish period. After graduating from Kabatafl Lyceé in 1968, one of the longest-established schools in Istanbul, Gürkan came to Germany and studied

textile chemistry. Afterwards he worked at the largest textile company in Krefeld for six years. Gürkan, who shared a past of 35 years with Zekeriya Yasemin, the owner of Yayla-Türk, started to work in the company upon Yasemin’s offer. Gürkan describes the company as being open to change and states that the executives are determined to accomplish their planned projects. He highlights the fact that their efforts to develop mildew protected packing for their Alt›n Kaymak yogurt took 1.5 years. He also reveals that the number of their products, which is presently 180, will soon rise to 200 with new produces to be introduced and they expect an increase in the number of German customers who now, thanks to tourism, appreciate the taste of Turkish cuisine. According to statistics, 4.2 million Germans vacation in Turkey every year. Gürkan notes that Yayla is not the owner of factories where yogurt and other products are produced, but after long years of relationship they have become identified with them. He adds, “If a third person were to make a much better offer to the factory that we deal with in Luxemburg, they would first forward the offer to us.” Yayla, which sells in Poland, Azerbaijan and Greece, owns white meat facilities in Istanbul. There are 30 employees at its Krefeld center and it also produces meat and dairy products under another trade name, Fulya. Gürkan adds that they have some other trade names that are being reserved and are expected to show up in the market in the future.. œ TurkofAmerica • 37

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DONER SOCIETY ENTERPRISE GROUP

IF DÖNER WERE TO BE A PROFESSION! In Germany there are overall nearly 300 döner makers. Around 30,000 döner stalls and restaurants employ 150,000 employees. öner, which rapidly spread through European countries with Germany in the lead, has surpassed all fast food products and has become a giant sector with its producers, sales points, restaurants and consumers. In Germany there are overall nearly 300 döner makers. Around 30,000 döner stalls and restaurants employ 150,000 employees. In Germany döner is known to be consumed by more Germans than Turks. The anticipated turnover proceeds of döner is approximately 4 billion Euro. The ever-increasing consumption of döner, which is now also popular in countries outside Europe, brings with it certain sectoral problems that need to be surmounted. The generalization of each döner scandal in Germany and the effects on the sector, in general, of the unfavorable image created by the dishonest intent of some dealers can only be overcome by sectoral awareness.

The döner makers, acting with this in mind, for the first time decided to come together under the umbrella of an organization in December 2006 in an effort to be accepted as a professional body in Germany. Presently, 61 döner makers are members of the Döner Society Enterprise Group. ‹smail Birol was appointed the General Secretary of the Society in order for the business to be conducted in a professional manner. In Germany each sector which has professional status acquires self control, sets its own quality standards and employs people trained in schools in those professions. As an example, while ice cream making is accepted as a profession, the döner sector in Germany is not yet consi38 • TurkofAmerica

Christian Möbius, Jürgen Hollstein and Franz-Josef Knieps, CDU members of the parliament from the province of North Rein Vestfalia, invited the authorized personnel of the European Döner (pressed lamb roasted on a large vertical spit) Society to the State Parliament and spoke with Yunus Alt›nsoy, the Chairman of the Society and ‹smail Birol, the General Secretary of the Society.

dered to be a professional sector in spite of its large size, turnover and number of workers. The döner makers united within the Chamber of Döner Entrepreneurs are lobbying to be accepted as a profession. The döner makers, led by Yunus Alt›nsoy, owner of Köln-based Avrasya Döner, are trying their best to establish an organization that would help prevent unfair competition and sham production, and would help to overcome deficiencies in the number of representatives and staff. It will take a long time for the organization to get the approval of the German authorities and gain legal status. In this long process, in order for the organization to be granted autonomy, it will be necessary that the trade associations, labor, and professional organizations accept the need for it to become a professional field, that the members of the parliament adopt this idea in principle, that the concerned ministries carry out the necessary work and introduce required legislations, and that the omnibus act and implementation clauses and regulations be prepared by the Federal and State Assemblies. Even though the process seems to require a very long time, Alt›nsoy says that so far there has been no adverse remarks from people who are familiar with the topic and they seem to be getting a lot of

support from people. Alt›nsoy states that when they are granted autonomy, they will be able to employ 1000 workers in the döner sector. That is, 1000 workers who will work in the duration between production of döner and its presentation to customers will be able to start getting training immediately. Alt›nsoy says, “We took the the path of considering döner to be a profession. We have covered a significant distance in two years and are still continuing to do so. Döner production shall definitely be accepted as a profession if we attend to it strongly.” Another point of concern for döner makers is that of unfair competition. Some makers employ savage efforts, violating rules of competition in the commercial sense and thus unnecessarily negatively affecting the sector as a whole. The Döner Chamber hopes to overcome scientific and ethical inadequacies and wishes to develop a competitive mentality not from viewpoint of costs, but in terms of quality, creativity and vision. Even if few in numbers, the sham production by some makers is another matter of concern for the Döner Chamber. THE CHAMBER OF DÖNER ENTREPRENEURS Aga Döner Produktion Ali Baba Arslan Kebap Produkte Arslan's Party Service Döner Kebab

Avrasya GmbH Best Dönerproduktion GmbH Best Kebab Bilir Döner Birkan Bos Bulut Döner Produktion Cagras Paradies Can Döner Produktion Canlar Döner Celik Döner Chez Altun Dem Döner GmbH Devran Döner Dostlar GmbH Efe Döner Produktion Efendi Döner Produktion Eroglu Döner GmbH und Co. KG Ersko Meat e.K. Eura-Döner Euro Döner GmbH+Co. KG Euro Tec Döner Produktion Eurofood Distribution Flok Marketing GmbH Gök GmbH Gouvermet Döner Istanbul Döner Produktion Kalite Döner Produktion Kardelen Döner Produktion King GmbH Köyüm GmbH Lezzet GmbH Mercan Döner Namm Döner Natura La Mediterranea Nefis-Et GmbH Orient International Food Özbek Tat GmbH Özgüven Döner Produktion Öztat Döner Produktion Öztürk Döner Pamukkale Pasa Döner Produktion Pasa Kebab Pergamon GmbH Perk Imbiss Sahan Dönder Produktion Sahinler Dönerproduktion und Fleischgroßhandel GmbH Sedat Kebab Snack Ali Baba Snack Cappadoce Snack Efes Epinal Star Döner Produktion Star Food Company Sultan Eurofood Team Brothers GmbH Yeni Kapadokya Fleischwaren Herstellung GmbHœ

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DOGIAD

ortmund, Germany Dortmund, located in the North Rhine-Westphalia district of Germany, has a population of 587,800 and is the seventh largest city in the country. It ranks 34th among the large cities of Europe and according to the 2005 census residents include 134,000 (22.9%) immigrants.There are approximately 27,000 Turkish people living in Dortmund.

A total of 7.2 % of business enterprises in the city are owned by foreigners, of which 23% are owned by Turks. The food, retail and service centers are the calling cards for 30% of Turkish business owners in Dortmund.

ORGANIZATION OF ETHNIC ENTERPRISES The Dortmund Businessmen Organization (DOGIAD), established in 1996, serves the goal of strengthening ties in the business world.

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Upon DOG‹AD’s agreement to go along with the project conducted by TAM, the two organizations converged in November 2007. Since DOG‹AD has not completed its structuring as yet, it is not accepting members at the moment. However, its goal is to enroll 100 members by the end of 2009. Presently, studies on the organization’s laws, marketing, operations and activities are underway. DIVERSE ETHNIC ORIGINS The organization, which will become public following these efforts, will be the fruit of a long-term project. The administrative board of DOG‹AD is composed of ten people. Two members are female and four are from countries other than Turkey. In fact, they are people of diverse ethnic origins from Ukraine, Greece and Korea.who live in Dortmund.

The abundance of enterprises with ethnic origin brought about a need for solidarity in the business world. The Dortmund Businessmen Organization (DOGIAD), established in 1996, serves the goal of strengthening ties in the business world, as well as the development of communication and qualifications of workers. ETHNIC ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT The initial founding of the organization was in 1996; however, since 2007 it has become an active and professional enterprise. The “Ethnic Economical Development Project” in Dortmund, sponsored by the Turkish Research Center (TAM), based in Essen, has served to put a new face on the activities of DOGIAD. Yunus Ulusoy, the project head of TAM, and Caner Aver, the project manager, have facilitated the endeavors of ethnic entrepreneurs by bringing them together with DOGIAD to evaluate studies carried out in Dortmund within the context of

the project financed by funds from the European Union.

The head of the organization is Ersoy Sam, who works as a lawyer in Dortmund. Caner Aver, the official spokesman of the organization and one of the people endeavoring to transform DOG‹AD into a professional and effective organization, emphasizes that their aim is not merely to bring Turkish business enterprises together, but also to work in unison with people of other ethnic origins in Dortmund, where 134,000 such people live.

DOGIAD board members are together.

According to the organizational charter, aside from entrepreneurs who live in Dortmund, people working in the municipality and banks, tradesmen or, in short, all legal persons who pay a monthly fee of 20 Euro to the organization will be accepted as members.

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Aver also emphasizes the fact that one of the projects to be implemented is the opening of professional training centers in foreign enterprises to contribute to training of personnel. He states: “This way we shall be able to integrate forign enterprises into the German economy.” Aver, who is the son of an immigrant family from Adana, is a graduate of the department of geography and a person who, by virtue of the project he has been working on, has been able to establish warm relations with many entrepreneurs in Dortmund and its vicinity in the course of about three years. Zafer Aktafl, a member of DOG‹AD, says that the organization has gained new aspects through Aver’s endeavors. Aver voices the feeling that they will be a bridge between the German society and the people of other ethnic origins. He emphasizes that they will particularly try to assist foreign trade for businesses which want to work with Turkey and Russia. DORTMUND IN NUMBERS - Among the business enterprises in Dortmund 7.2% are of foreign origin. 23% are Turkish (the largest ethnic group) and 32% are Italian, Greek, Spanish and Portugese. 14% are from new EU countries and 31% are from countries of the former Soviet Union. - 30% of Turkish enterprises are in food, retail and service sectors. - 71% of Turkish businesses have full-time employees; that is, they are no longer single-person enterprises. - Nearly 33% employ German workers as well.

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Caner Aver, the project manager.

- 22.9% of the population is of foreign origin (according to 2005 census, 134,000 foreigners; total population: 585,000)

Wilo (worldwide pump maker), Thyssen Krupp (iron-steel).

- Dortmund harbor is the largest canal harbor in Europe. œ

- Nearly 27,000 carry Turkish passport. (People of foreign origins who are German citizens are not included in the statistics) - In Dortmund the sectors that stand out are IT, logistics, microsystem technology. - In these three fields there are 1400 businesses employing 37,000 people. - 680 IT businesses employed 12,000 people (the largest IT center is in KRV district) - In Europe 10% of people working in medical technology live in Dortmund. - The largest businesses are: Materna (software), Elmos (high tech, nanotechnology),

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FILIZ TOSUN

THE STAR OF THE OPERA The Opera Restaurant has been managed by Filiz Tosun for nearly 14 years, is the only Turkish restaurant in Bonn in terms of concept and style.

Filiz Tosun

onn, Germany – The word Bonn immediately connotes the capital of West Germany during the cold war years, prior to the fall of the Berlin wall, and the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven. Bonn, which was the capital of Germany from 1949-1999, is a charming city with a

44 • TurkofAmerica

2000-year long history and a population of 314,000, located 20 km south of Köln. The Opera Restaurant, which was opened across from the Opera building during the time when Bonn was the capital city, was a popular meeting places for politicians, bu-

reaucrats and party leaders. This year, the place which came to be known as the symbol of the city celebrates its 20th year. The Opera Restaurant, which was founded by Müslüm Balaban, a businessman, and has been managed by Filiz Tosun for nearly 14 years, is the only Turkish

restaurant in Bonn in terms of concept and style. The transfer of the capital from Bonn to Berlin took away with it some of the customers of the Opera Restaurant, but it has still maintained its status and priority in the culinary sector. The poli-

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ticians who were regular customers of the restaurant have tried to carry their accustomed taste to Berlin; in fact, it seems they have even searched for an appropriate place for the Opera Restaurant to open another location. However, the remoteness of Berlin has made it impossible.

in the Opera is ‘tand›r’, which costs 14 Euro. “OPERA IS LIKE MY CHILD” The people in Bonn eat out at least once a week. Germans, who at one time never went out after 6 p.m., have slowly outgrown this habit. The Opera is one place which has played a role in this process. The kitchen of the restaurant is open until 1 a.m..

TOSUN’S 27-PERSON TEAM Filiz Tosun, who came to Germany in 1969 to learn the language after completing her high school education in Istanbul, is a businesswoman who has been able to survive for a long time in that profession. She comments, “I never thought of gastronomy as a profession; I had no interest in it whatsoever. However, when I started to learn I loved it and it became a part of me.”

Generally, restaurants frequently change hands or go out of business. The price politics of the Opera is most significant in its 20-year existence under the same management. Tosun points out that many businesses had to close when the capital was tranferred from Bonn to Berlin. Tosun tells us that even though she is in restaurant business she does not particularly like to cook. She is more interested in the presentation of a meal. She prefers to go to the Italian Halbedel Restaurant whenever she goes out to eat in Bonn.

Needless to say, the Opera has become a part of the performances and activities of the Bonn Opera. The organizational arrangements for people who come to see the performances of the Opera are carried out by Filiz Tosun and her 27-person team. The Opera Restauran,t which can accommodate 550 people in open and closed spaces, also has a bar inside the Opera building. The restaurant has gradually adopted, over two years, the non-smoking regulation in closed spaces which is enforced in Germany and now is in the process of annexing the space next door with 100person capacity, which became available when the sauna which was there went out of business. Tosun tells us that they were the first to start the bar business inside the Opera building, but apparently now there are four others in the vicinity. The restaurant, which espe-

cially attracts German customers, is famous for its cold appetizers. Filiz Tosun, who is the only female in the restaurant, says,”In a way I feel very much protected here. The staff never leaves me unattended. This is something which is very much appreciated by the customers as well.” Tosun, who admits that her job is her hobby and she loves it, stresses the fact that they

entertain close to 100 customers every day. In the restaurant a meal costs an average of 30 Euro per person. This covers the appetizers and the wine as well. Tosum notes that their prices are much lower than the prices in Italian restaurants downtown and adds, “When you consider the financial means of people in Germany you realize that it would not be possible to charge more for a meal.” The most expensive main course

The Opera, surrounded by 12 palm trees, has inspired people with its demonstration that these kind of tress could be grown in Bonn. Tosun, who owns a house in Antalya, the vacation paradise of Turkey, goes there every chance she gets and says, “The Opera with its palm trees has been my little Antalya.” Tosun says that even though she has been working as a manager for many years, she never thought of having her own place and notes: “The Opera is like my child, maybe that’s probably why it never occurred to me that I could start my own business.” Besides her child, the Opera, the successful manager also has a 34-year old son named Burak.œ TurkofAmerica • 45

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KAPLAN DONER

BERLIN: THE CITY THAT INTRODUCED DÖNER TO THE WORLD Remzi Kaplan is one of the businessmen who discovered East Berlin after the fall of the wall.

Remzi Kaplan, President of Kaplan Doner.

erlin, Germany – Some day when the history of döner is written, Berlin will undoubtedly have a special place and significance. Döner, after its introduction in Turkey, put its name on the map first in Europe’s Berlin. Berlin ranks as the European city with the highest Turkish population—a group that tops

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200,000—and its district of Kreuzberg was the first place in Germany that gave Germans a taste of doner. On November 9, 1989, with the fall of the 46 km long wall that had been erected by the decision of the Eeastern German Parliament made on August 12, 1961 in an attempt to prevent the flight of East Ger-

man citizens to West Germany, Berlin began to be the host for new events. Remzi Kaplan is one of the businessmen who discovered East Berlin after the fall of the wall. Kaplan, who started out in trade by selling chickpeas and lentils in neighborhood markets in Ankara, began to sell döner

from a two-wheeled cart in East Berlin in 1989. The first day he sold 15 kilos of döner. Sales increased day by day and reached 200 kilos per day. When the quality of döner being produced in the factory began to deteriorate, Kaplan had to start his own production business. He began to produce

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döner under the trade name Kaplan Döner in a 250 square meter facility in 1990; as he puts it, “Even though I had no idea about how to make it.” Other döner producers who felt that they could snap at a chance in the East Berlin market followed Kaplan. In a short while 35 other döner producers showed up in the market. While there were few döner producers and sellers in Berlin until 1996, now there are 41 döner facilities and close to 3000 stalls. At the present the greatest number of döner facilities in Europe are found in Berlin, Hamburg being second with 12 producers. Kaplan says that their company is one of the three companies that have played a significant role in introducing döner to European countries other than Germany. The other two are Karmez, owned by Tütünbafl› brothers, which has its main office in Frankfurt, and Birtat, owned by Ali Hatay, which has been in business since 1998 in Waiblingen in Southeastern Germany. Kaplan, who owns three plants in Berlin, Hanover, and Hamburg remarks: “In Europe döner was born in Berlin and from there spread to other countries of the world.” He tells us that he is the first döner entrepreneur who introduced it to the Dutch and Polish markets. Kaplan, who employs a total of 165 people in his three plants, exports to 12 countries in the European Union. The businessman Kaplan remarks that they are attempting to maintain certain standards in döner production and sales and so they plan to require sale certificates in order to ensure that the sales are conducted under sanitary conditions. According to Kaplan:

Kaplan with Heide- Knake Werner, the minister for social policy in the Berlin State government.

“We will no longer allow döner sellers to sell it with a cigarette in hand.” The 48-year-old Kaplan has a son and two daughters who are all in döner business. MEAT SCANDALS AND VICTIMS One event that frequently causes the German media and the döner producers to butt heads is the identification of tainted meat sales by döner producers. The tainted meat found in German Bruner company in Johanneskirchen near Munich in 2006 once more brought the German media and the döner producers up against one another. Bruner, which sold the spoiled meat to many companies in Europe that produce meat products, had pasted new labels over labels with expired dates. At the time, the Society of European Turkish Döner Producers published a statement in which they criticised the asso-

ciation of tainted meat with döner and the accusations directed towards döner producers for what was the fault of wholesale dealers. In 2006, 100 tons of tainted meat, a part of a total of 450 tons of tainted meat imported to Germany, was confiscated in the Bruner company, but the rest could not be found at all. Based on supposition, döner facilities were raided under authority obtained from the prosecutor and one company accused of buying tainted meat turned out to be Kaplan Döner, who had to present all its invoices for the dates between June 1-October 21, 2006. Remzi Kaplan says: “I offered to present German authorities with invoices not merely from June on, but from January 2006.” The court case, the final hearing of which was to take place in May 2008, has stirred a

great deal of interest in Germany. Kaplan describes the event with the following words: “On the day of the trial eight live TV broadcasters, five radio and 36 news reporters were waiting in the hall. As if a serial killer had been caught...I thought that if there was such an antagonistic campaign before the hearing, it should be expected to be much worse afterwards, and with my lawyer we decided not to go to the hearing,” So, Kaplan was fined 40,000 Euro for not attending the hearing. Kaplan disputed the decision and filed an appeal. He comments: “We were awarded the Gold Medal in 2004, 2005 and 2006 for the döner we produced. I would not jeopardize my own name and the trade name of the company by buying 4 tons of tainted meat. I never produce or sell anything which I, myself, and my family do not eat.” œ TurkofAmerica • 47

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GERMAN AGENDA

en’s article, which appeared in Referans on the 19th of June 2008, forced him to step down from the directorship of the foundation he’d headed for 23 years. The decision made by the Board of the Foundation, Dr. Fritz Schaumann, Thomas Kufen and Prof. Dr. Heinz Jurger Axt among them, was met by outrage by many Turks, Jewish organisations and businessmen’s associations in a number of countries as well as Germany. In the face of such vocal reaction, the Foundation had little choice but to reinstate Prof. fien, who will stay in his position until the end of 2008.

GERMANY’S NEW JEWS: TURKS It all began with an article penned by Prof. Faruk fien, Director of the German Turkey Study Center Foundation, entitled, “Europe’s New Jews.”

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The international outrage and NGO pressure forced the Foundation Board to seek out an agreement with Prof. fien. Following meetings, the North Rhine Wesphalia Minister of Assimilation Armin Lachet and Dr. Fritz Schaumann, Chairman of the Turkey Study Centre, announced that they had reached an agreement. The announcement went on to state that Prof. fien’s contract had been extended until the 31st of December 2008 and that he would then head the German University planned for Turkey. As of January 2009, Prof. fien will head the German University Foundation until 2010; the university is currently being set up in Izmir. This private university will be entirely German speaking. Prof. Faruk fien expressed his delight at the resolution of the storm over his position.

This is how the story developed: Ishak Alaton, a leading Turkish Jewish businessman, referred in a newspaper interview to the difficulties he and others had to contend with in the face of anti-semitism in the state apparatus. Prof. fien then wrote the article entitled “Europe’s New Jews” in an effort to support Alaton and raise awareness of the difficulties the businessman faced. fien stated in the article, “We, as the Turks of Europe, appreciate your importance to this country. We, as the new Jews of Europe, your 5,200,000 companions in fate, are best placed to sympathise with you. Do not allow the antisemitic attitudes of certain quarters in Turkey get you down; we, the Turkish people, and the new Jews of Europe, are standing right behind you.” The article, originally written to express support for Turkish Jews and published in a Turkish newspaper, was turned on its head under the pretext of ‘offending Jews in Germany’. An announcement was made to the effect that Prof. fien had been dismissed while he was on holiday in Turkey. Access to his e-mail account was suspended and he was barred from communicating with Foundation staff. The Foundation building’s locks were changed. A

ne. Ishak Alaton, the businessman, personally sent a handwritten note of support to the German Press.

During his temporary termination, foundation staff had met and resolved to form a personnel delegation to continue negotiations with the authorities and enable a greater transparency of information. The closed ballot that was held at the time appointed Yunus Ulusoy, TAM Foundation Economic Study and Applied Projects Section Head, as personnel representative.

fait accompli had terminated his contract; but the support offered fien by Jewish organisations in Germany and the USA, as well as NGOs, forced the Foundation’s Board to retract. The organized reaction, that began with Turkish BGOs in Germany, reached all the way to the

USA. NGOs in the USA, the Assembly of Turkish-American Associations and the Federation of Turkish American Associations all published statements of protest. Jewish organisations in the USA also expressed their conviction that the article did not aim to offend Jews and that the Foundation directors were out of li-

TURKISH STUDIES CENTER FOUNDATION Founded on the 1st of October 1985 in Bonn as a partnership between the Freudenberg Foundation and the German Science Foundation, the Turkish Study Center (TAM) started with a staff of three. Based in Essen, it now it fields an expert workforce of political scientists, sociologists, economists, Islamic theologians and ethnologists. œ

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Turk Of America 50-51

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JEAN ERIN

“TRY TO WIN PEOPLE INSTEAD OF MONEY” Turkish citizens in France, whose number is estimated to be around 500,000, mostly live in Paris, Alsace and Lorraine. aris, France- Since the 1970’s, France has ranked as another leading country, in addition to Germany and the Netherlands, that has been attracting Turkish immigrants. In the time of the Ottoman Empire, following the forced migration in 1915, many Armenian Ottoman citizens settled in France and France is renowned for being one of the countries with the largest population from the Armenian diaspora.

Many students who are graduates of French schools in Turkey, such as Saint Benoit, Saint Pulcherie, Saint Joseph, Saint Michel, Notre Dame de Sion, Galatasaray Lyceé and Pierre Loti, have also come to live in France. Turkish citizens in France, whose number is estimated to be around 500,000, mostly live in Paris, Alsace and Lorraine. Turkish businessmen in France have joined forces in two separate organizations: The Turkish Businessmen Association of France and The Active Businessmen Association of France (FATIAD). Jean Erin, who studied advertising and graphic design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Strasbourg, France after graduating from Istanbul Saint Michel French Lyceé in 1977, is one of the Armenians living in France who is Turkish by birth.

Jean Erin.

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In 1980, Erin started to work as advertisement and decoration head of two stores connected with France’s third largest food industry com-

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pany, and 10 years later, in 1990, he was appointed to one of the same company’s stores in Paris. Erin tells us that even though the move from the provinces to a cosmopolitan city such as Paris was difficult at first, he was able to adapt to the circumstances with the help of his family and his wife, who worked in the same sector. He says, “For me and my family this move was a significant stage in our lives,” and adds, “life is a struggle forever and we had no other choice. We were able to overcome many obstacles with the help of my family,” Erin, who worked at the same food company for nearly 20 years, decided that it was time to set sail towards different horizons and started to work on his own in the advertising and marketing business. He became the publicity agent for Turkish companies in and around Paris. Two years ago, Erin started to work as the communications head and the general coordinator of Turkish affairs in an international company of French origin in Poissy, near Paris. He designs the advertisements, the internet site, posters and booklets for the company and devises plans for marketing. The French company is engaged in business with China, Turkey, Romania and the Czech Republic. Erin states that they do business mostly with the automotive sector in Turkey and adds, “Our goal is to strengthen our 15-yearlong cooperation even more. We want to assess the potential in Turkey in the best way possible and to ensure that our country attains the position it deserves in the process of globalization.”

Painting, photography, playing the piano, writing poems and being a collector are Erin’s hobbies and he emphasizes that his love of arts was acquired from his father. Erin tells us that last year he returned to the university for a year to be of help to his friend on his thesis, concerned with the art works of the Art Nouveau (New Art) movement in Istanbul during the time of the Ottoman Empire, and says that there was great interest shown in this particular work. Erin, who says, “I am struggling for international dialogue in a world filled with love, respect and tolerance with no religious, racial or color discrimination,” is a member of various organizations in Paris with friends who share these ideals. “Life is a drama and an everongoing struggle. My late physician father’s words still echo in my ears: ‘Son, all your life try to win people instead of money.’” œ TurkofAmerica • 51

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WASHINGTON BACKSTAGE Ali Günertem agunertem@turkofamerica.com

NEW CANDIDATE RIFAT SIVIfiO⁄LU n the last few years, Turks living in the US have increasingly ventured into politics. Osman Bengür ran for the US Congress in the 2006 elections, while Tarkan Öcal tried his luck with the Florida State Senate in 2002.

While those pioneers didn’t make it, it remains essential to keep a positive attitude and field new candidates. I was thrilled when I found out that a Turkish American from DuPage, Illinois was running in the 2008 elections. I had the opportunity to meet with R›fat Siviflo¤lu when he attended the ATAA general assembly in Washington, DC, in May 2008. These assemblies are often of the kind, where, unless you’re participating in the meeting proper, people meet, shake hands on the run and exchange superficial pleasantries. I had intended to meet R›fat and hear about his plans for the future, from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. Invited by Yurter Özcan, President of the Ar› Foundation, I made my way to the hotel where the general assembly was to take place. Once we met, I was able to happily observe

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the same self-confidence and knowledge in R›fat as I did in Osman Bengür, my close friend. R›fat is well aware of the steepness of the hill he’s set out to climb, and in particular, the relative inexperience of Turkish-American society in these matters. He tells me, during the course of our chat, that he’s determined to prepare a great roadmap for future candidates. R›fat’s message to his constituency is economic. The main issues impacting the DuPage region are tax increases that create additional burdens on families and businesses. Increased taxes, reduced services, differences of opinion in DuPage administration, lack of transparency and the poor performance of the local government were all factors that kindled R›fat’s desire to run for election. As the present presidential election is being fought on the economy platform, this choice is the correct one for local elections. R›fat is determined to work on righting financial shortcomings first off, if elected. Another major topic he underlines is the need to increase transparency. As R›fat is Turkish in origin, we have to appreciate his preference

for local policies above national ones, as well as understand the relevance of local policies in election campaigns. All of us in the Turkish-American section of society now are obliged to make the best of this opportunity before us. R›fat has chosen to run for a local, instead of federal seat; this allows him to drop below the radar and thus avoid the unwelcome attention of antiTurkish lobbies. The road ahead is a long one; the next goal, should he make it into local government on this occasion, is to enter Congress from his constituency. All of us in the Turkish-American diaspora must support R›fat with all our might with this goal in view. This might consists of money. Our diaspora successfully raised a not insignificant amount of money in the 2008 preliminaries alone. The Hilary Clinton fundraising campaign raised nearly half a million dollars. This power now needs to be exercised to support R›fat. US election campaigns are tough for every candidate with a vested interest in Turkey. Whatever their identity, all anti-Turkish lobbies launch

huge campaigns against candidates they view as close to Turkey. This holds true whether the candidate is a brandnew one, or an incumbent representative or senator. Opposing candidates, representing their interest groups, and supported by huge donations, are fielded at the first possible opportunity. We witnessed this at close quarters during Osman Bengür’s campaign in 2006. Similar events are already taking place ahead of the November 2008 elections. This political chess game is well planned and all parties friendly to Turkey are forced into corners. The staunchest ally of Turkey in the House and the head of TurkishAmerican Parliamentary Friendship Group, Robert Wexler, faces these attacks in Florida every election. What is needed is to learn the rules of the game well and play by the rules, rather than complain about the situation. It falls upon us to not only support candidates friendly to Turkey, but also draw a longterm roadmap for candidates who rise from our ranks and explore ways of carrying them through to the House and the Senate. œ

SENOL ISIKAY

RUCKER’S WEAPON IN THE ETHNIC MARKET The cheese produced for the Turkish market under the trade name Oba has been introduced to the market by fienol Ifl›kay, the sales manager. approximately 450 million Euro and now it is managed by Thomas and Klaus Rücker, the fourth Rücker generation. The cheese produced for the Turkish market under the trade name Oba has been introduced to the market by fienol Ifl›kay, the sales manager. Ifl›kay, who has a university degree in geography, wrote his master’s thesis on Turkish retailers and came across the Rücker Company while searching for jobs four years ago. He immediately started out to introduce the trade name to the ethnic market. Ifl›kay, who states that there has been a 200% increase in sales since then, is responsible for the development of small-scale packing technique for Oba cheeses, which are now sold on market shelves rather than in 16 kilogram boxes designed for wholesale marketing. Ifl›kay notes, “We did not copy anyone, we just improved our own products and this has had a significant effect on recognition of the trade name.” Oba, which introduces its products via publicity campaigns in the Turkish press, markets the products using advertising films shot in Turkey. Ifl›kay also produces products for Greek and Arab consumers. fienol Ifl›kay, who has a university degree in geography, wrote his master’s thesis on Turkish retailers.

he ethnic food market in Germany, which has an estimated value of approximately 6 billion Euro, engages not merely the attention of Turkish companies, but also those of the giant German producers. Rücker GmbH in Germany, one

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of the world’s leading feta cheese producers, sells its cheese in Turkish markets under the trade name of Oba. The company, whose foundations were laid by Eduard Rücker in 1890, was expanded by his son Gustav Rücker and now has about 300 employees and

produces approximately 300 million kilograms of dairy products annually. Rücker butter and dairy products are as well known as its cheese. The annual revenue of the company, which does special productions for large retail chains in Germany such as Lidl and Aldi, is

The Rücker company, which has its manufacturing center in Aurich, Germany, plans to increase the products marketed under the trade name Oba. Ifl›kay highlights the fact that there is severe competition in the food market, where 36 Turkish trade names race against each other. Oba also markets its products outside of Germany in Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium.œ

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??????????

THE THIRD SIEGE OF VIENNA

ienna- Turkish entrepreneurs in Vienna, the capital of Austria, focus mainly on the wholesale foods and gastronomy industries, just as their cousins in Germany do. Do & Co Restaurants and Catering, Etsan, Orient, and Hürpafl are some of the leading Austrian Turkish companies.

The Do & Co Group, owned by Atilla Do¤udan, serves many airlines in catering, runs the Do&Co Hotel in the most prestigious district of the city and is now the proprietor of the 100year-old distinguished Demel patisserie chain. Hüseyin Ünal entered the wholesale and retail food sector in 1985; his company Etsan has a chain of outlets and is one of the 54 • TurkofAmerica

leaders in wholesale foods. Etsan later launched an energy drink under the Wild Dragon brand name, which ensured its reputation in the market. Haydar Güner’s Onur Group companies are the largest fruit and vegetable importers of Austria, and they are in the top three in Europe. Orient GmbH’s proprietor Ayhan Bakan was the first businessman to import Sri Lankan tea into Europe in 1986. Orient is one of the leading tea importers of Europe. Founded in 1991 by Edip Bay›z›tl›o¤lu, Wedco High Quality Tooling leads the Austrian market with its cutting tools designed for a variety of industrial

applications, from automotive to electronics. Close to 15 other Turkish companies based in Vienna sell furniture to the ethnic market. Two of the largest companies in the Turkish market are Evim Mobilya and Hane Mobilya. Evim Mobilya’s proprietor, businessman Ceyhan Pusmaz, has most recently undertaken the European distribution of Turkish fans’ goods during Europe 2008, an expo jointly organized by Austria and Switzerland. Üçler Backereibetriebs GmbH

meets some 10 to 15% of Vienna’s daily bread requirements. Owned by the businessman Mehmet Ali Çanyaya, the bakery employs 53 workers. Two Turkish banks serve the some 220,000 Turks who live in Austria: Vak›fbank International AG and Denizbank AG, sold to the French-Belgian banking partnership Dexia in 2006. Denizbank, which began Austrian operations in 1996, has nine branches, while Vak›fbank, in Austria since 1999, also serves as headquarters for all Vak›fbank branches throughout Europe. œ

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TURKS IN HOLLAND

62,000 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM DUTCH TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS 365,000 residents of Turkish origin in the Netherlands contribute about 8.4 billion Euro to the Annual Gross National Expenditure of the country. Turkish homes in Germany; whereas in the Netherlands this figure rises to 1.6%. The Turkish residents of the Netherlands, who save 17% of their income, are owners of 17,000 homes. 13,500 TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS IN THE NETHERLANDS According to research findings, the total number of Turkish entrepreneurs active in the Netherlands has reached 13,500. Among the Turkish population working in the country, the ratio of entrepreneurs is 9% and these enable 62,000 people to find employment. The percentage of female entrepreneurs among the Turkish entrepreneurs, whose total annual revenue is 5.6 billion Euro, is 20.7%.

t was announced that 365,000 people of Turkish origin living in the Netherlands contribute 8.4 billion Euro to that country’s gross national expenditure.

According to research carried out by the Turkish Research Center (TAM) Foundation, "The Turkish Population in the Netherlands and the Countries of the European Union, House Data and the Economical Power of the Entrepreneurs", which is concerned with Turkish entrepreneurship and the Turkish people who live in the Netherlands, the eighth largest country of the European Union, the contribution of the Turks in the Netherlands to the Annual Gross National Expenditure of the European Union is 1.7 times that of Malta.

The Turkish Embassy in the Hague was instrumental in the translation into Flemish of the research findings presented to the public by Prof. Dr. Faruk fien, the Director of TAM Foundation, at the Dutch-Turkish Labor Council (NETUBA) in the Hague. The research was carried out by Prof. Dr. Faruk fien and Yunus Ulusoy, the Department Chairman of TAM Foundation Applied Projects and Research on Economics.

number of house residents among the Turkish residents is 3.9 persons and the net income per residence is about 2150 Euro. While the average unemployment in Germany was 8.4% in 2006, it was only 3.9% in the Netherlands. The average number of people per residence who are employed is 1.3 persons in

While the average investment of Turkish business establishments in the Netherlands is 110,000, the sectoral distribution of these establishments is based on ethnic niches. 37% of the Turkish business establishments in the country are concentrated in the retail trade, 28.2% of which is in food industry, 20.4% in service areas, 7.9% in crafts, 4.3% in wholesale trade and 2.2% in the manufacturing and construction i n d u s t r y .œ

THE ECONOMIC POWER OF TURKISH ENTREPRENEURS IN THE NETHERLANDS Data

Value

Number

13,500

Average investment per business establishment (Euro) TURKS OWN 17,000 RESIDENCES IN THE NETHERLANDS Research results indicate that 365,000 residents of Turkish origin in the Netherlands contribute about 8.4 billion Euro to the Annual Gross National Expenditure of the country. The average

Total investment (billion Euro)

1.5

Average revenue per business establishment (Euro) Total annual revenue (billion Euro)

418,000 5.6

Average number of employees per business establishment Total number of employees

110,000

4.6 62,000

Source: The Turkish Research Center Foundation

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TURKISH TRACES IN VIENNA

LIFE IN VIENNA

ienna – Vienna is the capital of an old Empire and you realize this better while roaming the streets of the city. The Cathedral of St.

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Stephens, which is extensively mentioned in the Turkish traveler Evliya Celebi’s Book of Travels, is the symbol of the city. Just as it is

a must for travelers to see Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and the Empire State Building in New York, it is a must to see the Cathedral of St. Stephens

Actually, Vienna acquired historical and political significance after the Siege of Vienna.

in Vienna. The so-called Ring Avenue, which is a three-lane road surrounding the city, is actu-

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By Sinan ErtuÂ¤rul*

ally the walls of the famous Vienna Fortress: the fortress which the Turks besieged twice but failed to conquer. The walls, which stood up

until the 19th century, were later torn down to build the road. What is left of the city walls

is the entrance gate at Heroes Square. All significant and historical structures are on this ring avenue: The Museum of Natural History, the

Museum of Fine Arts, the Austrian Parliament, the most beautiful City Hall in Europe and the Vienna Burg Theater. And a little farther TurkofAmerica â&#x20AC;˘ 59

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TURKISH TRACES IN VIENNA

away from the theater building is the oldest Germanlanguage University, that is, the University of Vienna. The name of Vienna--whose history goes back to the Romans--is derived from Latin. The Romans establish a frontier post and call it Vindabona. The famous Roman Caesar Marcus Aurelius was born in Vienna. Actually, Vienna acquired historical and political significance after the Siege of Vienna. While until the time of the first siege Vienna was an unimportant city in Central Europe where the Kaiser never came, its success during the siege made it gain importance. The city walls were repaired and renewed until the second siege and the city acquired the strongest walls of its time. Today in almost every corner of Vienna one comes across something associated with the Turks; it may be the name of a street or a cannon ball. The defense of Vienna is part and parcel of its identity.. Many long years after the Siege of Vienna, Turkish workers began streaming intp Austria in the 60’s and the 70’s, following an agreement signed with Turkey to provide the labor force required to reconstruct structures destroyed in the Second World War.The initial objective of these workers was to work for a couple of years, to save enough money to buy a cow or a tractor and go back home.

Unfortunately it did not turn out like that. My father was one of them; he looked like the modern migrant, arriving with only a single suitcase and a mattress. However, years went by, and he somehow could never return to his homeland. First he brought his family over, then split them up and sent half of them back home. Today approximately 220,000 Turks live in Austria. A large number of them were supposedly short-term laborers. Now they are Austrians and most of them live in Vienna. They have representatives on the city council; some have developed into important businessmen and employers; some are faculty members at the university, others are physicians in hospitals, or lawyers; it is possible to find Austrian Turks in all kinds of professions. Your taxi driver in Vienna might be a Turk. They are now Austrians and are part of this country. It does not matter that they may be regarded as foreigners in Austria or as “emigrants” in Turkey. Now kebap is an Austrian national food, right next to Schnitzel. An Austria and Vienna without Turks is inconceivable.

* Sinan Ertu¤rul is a graduate student in the Political Science Department of the University of Vienna. Ertu¤rul, who has been living in Vienna since 1999, is the youngest child of a family who immigrated to Europe in 1963.

TURKISH TRACES IN VIENNA The famous Oriental studies expert Kertsin Tomenendal in his book “Turkish Traces in Vienna” points to close to 400 various Turkish works of art in Vienna. However, most of them create an undesirable image. Some of these are: *Prince Eugene, who served in the king’s army during the Second Siege of Vienna, defeated the Turks and gained a great victory at Zenta in 1697. Prince Eugene took back Belgrade from the Ottomans in 1717 and his body was interred in St.Stephen’s Cathedral. His statue in Heroes Square, which was unveiled in 1865, stands in front of the Austrian National Library. The statue shows Prince Eugene on his horse which is trampling on Turkish bricks. The original or artificial Turkish cannon balls that symbolize the defense of Vienna and the retreat of the Turks, leaving everything behind, can be seen as decorations of victory on exterior walls of houses. One of these is the gold Turkish cannon ball at Am Hof 11 where the statue of Çerkez Day› (Circassian Uncle) is in No.1 Vienna. . * At the corner of house number 3 on Gavur (Infidel) Street there is the statue of a small Turkish soldier on his rearing horse, holding a sword in his hand. This hero, whose story has spread from mouth to mouth, is known as Çerkez Day› (Circassian Uncle) by the Turks and Gavur Atefli (Infidel’s Fire) by the Austrians. During the First Siege of Vienna by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificient a cannon ball breached a city wall. Çerkez Day› entered the city through the opening without looking back and after a while realized that he was alone. He fought against the Austrian army until he was martyred. King Ferdinand had this great hero and his horse embalmed and set up under the vault of a house. Thus, the square where Çerkez Day› was martyred became known as the Çerkez Day› Square. Over the course of centuries the information about the interred body and its fate was lost.The square, which was previously known as the “Çerkez Day› Square”, is now called “Heidenschuss” * One of the pictures of the Virgin Mary, who was called on to help during the Turkish wars, is “Maria Pötsch” which is immediately to the right of the entrance to St.Stephen’s Cathedral. This picture was designated as the palm for the battle of Zenta by Abraham a Sancta Clara, because shortly after the picture was fixed onto the main altar in the cathedral the news of Prince Eugene’s victory against the Turks in battle of Zenta was received. The picture, which is known by the name Türkenmodanna, was called on for help and blessed in all Turkish wars .Again, a janissary trampled by a preacher and a statue with Turkish tile design are seen on the exterior north wall of the cathedral. * The plate fixed to the corner of Kärtner Street in memory of the First Siege of Vienna describes the last attack of the Turks who were driven back on October 14, 1529. (July 4, 2008, Selahattin Sevi, Zaman) *One of the public parks in Vienna which is visited by approximately 800 people daily is called the Turkish Park. Its German name is "Türkenschanzpark" The park was built between 1885 and 1888 in memory of the Second Siege of Vienna by financial contributions and the initiative of people living in the area; its landscape took its present form in 1910. Its German name, which means “Turkish Barracks”, is derived from the fact that the Ottoman Barracks were located in this region.

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HUSEYIN UNAL

THE LARGEST TURKISH FOOD COM PAN

THE MACRO Macro Group has 13 supermarkets in Vienna, varying between 600-1200 square meters in size, as well as three furniture stores.

The Wild Dragon, which is exported to 32 different countries in the world, is sold in the Chicago area.

ienna – The story of the Macro Group began in a small grocery store. Hüseyin Ünal from Yozgat, who came to Austria as a worker, met the halal meat needs of various neighborhoods in Vienna. The adventure, which started by selling the meat of 30 lambs per week, has now turned into a company with a revenue of 90 million Euro.

Hüseyin Ünal, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Macro Group.

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Ünal, with seven friends, started the wholesale food and marketing business in 1985 under the name of Aksoy. When his friends gradually quit the business the company was left to Ünal.

He started the halal meat business in Austria in 1990, first by buying around 300 live lambs per week from Czechoslovakia and Poland to sell only in his own markets. When demand increased, he began importing 1500-2000 lambs per week from Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungry, Rumania, Bulgria, England and Ireland for halal slaughtering by his own butchers In 1991, after getting authorization for halal slaughtering, he initiated it for livestock in the Vienna Municipality Slaughter-

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OM PANY IN AUSTRIA:

THE W‹LD DRAGON SEEKS NEW MARKETS ‹N THE USA One of the areas on which the Macro Group has been concentrating recently is Wild Dragon, an energy drink. Hüseyin Ünal started out by becoming an associate of another energy drink company in Austria, the motherland of energy drinks, and afterwards created his own brand name, The Wild Dragon. The Wild Dragon is headed by Hüseyin Ünal’s son Yaflar Ünal. The Wild Dragon, which is exported to 32 different countries in the world, is sold in the Chicago area of the state of Illinois in the USA. Yaflar Ünal, the sales and marketing head of the Wild Dragon, is in the process of searching for marketing opportunities in New York and its vicinity and plans to have access to customers through a distributor. He comments: “We trust our brand and product. After Chicago, it is our goal to accelerate the sales in the USA, in general.” The energy drink that can be considered the father of all energy drinks was produced by Iron Brew in Scotland in 1901. However, energy drinks became widespread in Europe through Red Bull, which was developed by Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur. The source of inspiration for Red Bull was Krating Daeng, a Thai beverage. The USA energy drink market reached a sales volume of 5.4 billion dollars at the end of 2007. According to estimates by Goldman Sachs and Mintel, this sales volume will go up to 10 billion dollars by the end of 2010. Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Molson and Labatt invested in energy drinks by annexing small companies. Energy drinks are consumed mostly by young customers, 65% of whom are between ages of 13-35. Ünal, who follows the developments in the market closely, points out that the discovery of energy drinks by large

house. He began to produce halal meat products in 1992. The Macro Group buys livestock, slaughters and sells to wholesale markets and also produces Etsan salami, frankfurters and sucuk (spicy sausages). Since their wholesale food space in Vienna’s No. 10 district was small, the Macro Group bought a building with about 3000 square meters of usage area in Vienna’s wholesale market and became the largest wholesale food company in Austria. Ünal, in addition to the whole-

sale food business, opened the first supermarket under the name of Etsan in 10th District Vienna in 1997. Presently, the Group has 13 supermarkets in Vienna, varying between 6001200 square meters in size, as well as three furniture stores. Hüseyin Ünal, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Macro Group, which has 150 employees in wholesale food, meat production and marketing sectors, plans to raise the Group’s 90 million Euro revenues to a total of 130 million Euro by the end of 2008. œ

companies has increased competititon. The entrance of such giant soft drink companies as Coca Cola and Pepsi into the energy drink market via purchases has had an adv erse effect on companies that are obliged to create their own brand names and distribution means. Entering the market as a subbranch of a big brand name does not necessarily bring leadership in marketing. On the other hand, Red Bull is maintaining its leadership vis-a-vis the giant companies. Recently, the photography for the advertisement campaign for The Wild Dragon were completed by Ünal and a photographer from New York. Ünal plans to have a unique position among energy drinks with the new image they want to create for The Wild Dragon, a drink that is now also being marketed in Turkey...

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ORIENT GMBH

THE MAN WHO INTRODUCED CEYLON TEA TO EUROPEAN MARKETS

In 1986 Bakan became the first businessman to import Ceylon tea to Europe.

Orient, under its own brand name, provides all European markets, Austria being first on the list, with every kind of dried food. ienna- Though it interrupted the course of politics, Turkey’s coup d’état of September 12, 1980 culminated in significant changes in the lives of many young people during those years. When the army took over the state administration, many young people preferred to go abroad to get away from the political turmoil.

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In those days Ayhan Bakan, who had graduated from Marmara University, one of the few universities in Istanbul at that time, came to Dortmund in Germany to get a Ph.D. The coup d’état took place one week after he arrived in Germany. His scholarship was frozen and he was left helpless in the country to

which he had come to get an education. He attended Ruhr University for about 2.5 years. Later, he replied to an advertisement issued by the Austrian government to teach religious instruction courses for Turkish junior high school students. Twelve friends mo-

ved to Austria from Germany as religious instructors. Afterwards, five of these friends, including Ayhan Bakan, established the Orient GmbH textile company in 1984. The company was founded using an endowed fund composed of 10 thousand marks given by each one of the five founders.

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One of the instructors left his job to take care of the daily business of the Orient. The business life that was launched in textiles soon transformed into a food industry. As the partners who got a start in business in a 30 square meter store withdrew from the company one by one, the Orient passed into the ownership of Bakan in 1986. Upon the arrival of his siblings from Turkey, Bakan began to expand the business. In the course of time the, 30 square meter area went up to 100 and then 300 square meters. He began to import food from the foreign business company which they established in Turkey in 1988. Today, Orient, under its own brand name, provides all European markets, Austria being first on the list, with every

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kind of dried food. In addition to the German based Turkish food producers such as Baktat, Efe Firat, Yayla, Sera, Naml› and Türkel which carry the banner with their own icon, Etsan and Orient are known as the two leading companies in Austrian markets. INTRODUCED CEYLON TEA In 1986 Bakan became the first businessman to import Ceylon tea to Europe. When Turkish tea became discredited following the Chernobyl disaster, Bakan edged towards and then became associated with Ceylon tea. Today the Orient is one of the largest tea importers in Europe. The Orient played an important role in converting the Turkish population in Europe into Ceylon tea consumers. The Orient, which presently

sells tea with Anatolian brand names such as Ece, Karadeniz, Colombo, Keyif, is a leader in the tea market. Olives rank as the third most consumed product by the Turkish population in Europe, following meat and milk products. The Orient, besides producing its own olives under the brand name of Ece, also exports to Europe the olives produced at its own company in Akhisar, Manisa. The company, established with an investment of 1.5 million Euro ($ 2.2 million) exports olives to 26 countries. The Orient, which at one point entered the retail sector in Turkey by opening a supermarket, later dissolved this business and withdrew from the market at the time of the great financial crisis of 2001. Presently, the Orient, with a

staff of 20 at its principal office in Vienna, has 350 employees in its companies that produce products under its own brand name. Bakan affirms that they have started to produce cheese for the North American market. He believes that cheese exported to Canada will edge into the market in the course of time. Rafet F›rat and fiahin Tekiner, who were partners in founding the Orient, remain in Austria where they are involved in other kinds of businesses. The other original partners, Mustafa Bozdemir and Arif Altunbafl, returned to Turkey. Bakan has two children, a daughter and a son, and says that now the second generation has gradually begun to assume their responsibilities.œ TurkofAmerica • 67

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HAYDAR GUNER

AUSTRIA’S VEGETABLE & FRUIT KING

Haydar Güner

Presently, the Onur Group companies owned by Haydar Güner are Austria’s number one vegetable-fruit import dealers. 68 • TurkofAmerica

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he story began in a small, 55 square meter greengrocery. You might be able to guess the end of the tale from its title. Haydar Güner was just 21 years old when he came to Vienna in 1985 after cutting short his university education halfway through his studies. He started off by selling retail vegetables and fruit in the oldest market in Vienna. He left that job and started to work in a cleaning company. He bought his first shop in 1990, and this 55 square meter greengrocery provided his first experience as an entrepreneur. Haydar Güner and his wife Yeter sold vegetables and fruit in their shop for ten years. He started a wholesale vegetable-fruit import business in 1993 and named his company after his seven-year old son: Onur Impex.

The restaurant, which is expected to cost 1.4 million Euro when completed, is centrally located across from the United Nations buildings, near the fair-assembly center and the soccer stadium in Vienna. The restaurant, which will initially employ 30 people, was previously used as a beer garden . Güner and his partner R›za Demir, who has 30 years of work experience in the Inter Continental Hotel, signed a 25 year lease on the place--which belongs to the Vienna Harbor. Güner says, “There is no other restaurant of this size in Vienna. We plan to introduce Turkish cuisine and the Turkish hospitality to our customers here.” In addition to this investment in the restaurant, Güner has also started a new venture in the retail sector. Last July he opened the 457 square meter Onur Supermarket in Sankt Pölten, the capital of Lower Austria.œ

Presently, the Onur Group companies owned by Haydar Güner are Austria’s number one vegetable-fruit import dealers. He says that they are among the top three companies in Europe. Güner, who opened places in Stutgart and Düsseldorf after Vienna, began to export vegetables and fruit to Austria via the export company he established in Turkey in 1998. The Turkish based company carries the name of his younger son And›ç: And›ç Food. Güner has facilities in cities such as Bursa and Afyon, with the head office being in Antalya. He stores his produce in a 20,000 square meter cold storage plant. Güner, who sells not only to Turkish markets in Austria, but to large chain stores as well, imports most of his produce from the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey. He imports approximately 180 different kinds of products. A total of

250 employees work in his two companies. Güner, who imports around 20,000 tons of vegetables and fruit to Austria, says that the export company that they established in Turkey in 1998 has played a significant role in the expansion of the company. He comments: “Taking a risk needed much courage; however. I had the support of my whole family. My wife was my greatest helper and the knowledge that she was behind me was worth millions of Euro.”

THE LARGEST TURKISH RESTAURANT IN VIENNA In 2001, Güner, who is also experienced in the food sector in addition to the vegetablefruit trade, opened a restaurant in District 10 Vienna. In February 2008, he handed this restaurant over to someone else and last June opened one of the largest restaurants on the shore of the Danube in Austria. The restaurant, Sofra, has indoor seating for 120 and an outdoor seating area that can serve up to 1200 people. TurkofAmerica • 69

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EDIP BAYIZITLIOGLU

WEDCO: THE INDUSTRIAL PRECISION CUTTING TOOL tor of various companies since the age of 20. 100 EMPLOYEES Bay›z›tl›o¤lu, who initially established Wedco as a commercial company and started production in 1995, states that all features, including the concept and design of cutting tools manufactured by them, are their own. Wedco, which covers an area of 3000 square meters, harbors 10 companies. The total number of employees in all of its companies is around 100. The parent body includes Wedco Production, Wedco Service (modification of tools used in machining, tool-management, measurement protocols, quality consultation) and Wedco Tools (manufacturing of prime value products). In parallel with Wedco’s development, its manufacturing place is being doubled. Bay›z›tl›o¤lu states, “Our high-quality consultancy is not a mere slogan, it is a company principle.” Wedco High Quality Tooling, established by Edip Bay›z›tl›o¤lu in 1991.

Wedco controls 10% of the Austrian market in production of precision cutting tools and dies. ienna- Austria’s geographically central location in Europe, at a commercial and cultural crossroads, accords advantages to businesses operating in the country.

Austria, which forms boundaries with eight contries -- Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungry, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein - is the major supplier, particularly for the powerful industry in Germany. 32% of Austria’s total exports are to Germany and its 103.7 billion in export volume in Euro exceeds India’s 70 • TurkofAmerica

export volume (95 billion Euro). Austria, which is among the 25 nations with the largest export volume, is expected to derive 200 billion Euro worth of revenues from materials and services exported by 2010. The presence in Germany of giant automobile industries such as BMW, Mercedes and Opel provides the dynamics for the development of Austrian industry. Wedco High Quality Tooling, established by Edip Bay›z›tl›o¤lu in 1991, manufactures cutting tools for heavy industries such as the automotive and

electronics sectors amd is among the top companies in the Austrian market. Bay›z›tl›o¤lu, the founder of Wedco, which controls 10% of the Austrian market in production of precision cutting tools and dies, plans to increase this to 15% in 2012. Following his father, who immigrated to Austria in 1971 from Izmir, the pearl city of Turkey in the Aegean region, Bay›z›tl›o¤lu and his mother came to Vienna in 1976. Upon completing his education in technical school, he became an engineer. He has been working in the cutting tools sec-

Wedco, besides manufacturing its own products, also serves as the commercial and technical representative for Sumitomo, the largest manufacturer of CBN-rotating shafts, Horn, the prestigious German company which manufactures tools for lathes, and Nikken firms which produce rotary tables and support wraps. 70% of Wedco products are sold in Austria. Wedco, which started production in Turkey four years ago along with Portugal, also has investments in Italy and England. The company takes part in such international expositions such as EMO, EuroMold, Metav and TATEF. Bay›z›tl›o¤lu also serves as the Chairman of the Organization of Austrian Turkish Businessmen. œ

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TURKISH BANKS IN AUSTRIA

ienna- Two Turkish banks in Austria primarily provide services to 220,000 Turkish people: the Vak›fbank International AG and Denizbank AG, which in 2006 was sold for 2.4 billion dollars to Dexia, the French-Belgium joint banking group. Both banks have their main offices in the same area in District 10 Vienna.

VAKIFBANK AG SUPPORTS TURKISH ENTERPRENEURS

Denizbank, which went into operation in 1996, has nine branches in Austria. Vak›fbank, which has been in Vienna since 1999, is the main branch of other Vak›fbanks in Europe. Vak›fbank also has a branch in Köln and another one in Frankfurt.

Vak›fbank AG, which helped Turkish organizations in Vienna in the process of obtaining their buildings, points out that through this credit system these organizations became able to represent Turkey and the Turkish community in modern buildings.

Denizbank AG’s active size is 1.3 billion Euro, whereas Vak›fbank’s is 420 billion Euro. The bank deposits of approximately 10,000 people amount to close to 250 million Euro in Vak›fbank AG Europe. A large percentage (about 90%) of account holders with bank deposits is made up of German and Austrian customers. Vak›fbank AG, which is more conservative with respect to opening branches, has an equity capital of 45 million Euro. Numan Bek, the General Director of Vak›fbank AG, has been working in Vienna for three years. Bek, who served as the General Director of the New York branch of Vak›fbank, is also the creator of a project whereby companies or organizations can use their real estate properties in Turkey as collateral for mortgages. Many Turkish entrepreneurs in Austria and Germany have raised credit this way. Bek stresses that they accept real estate pro-

perties in Turkey for mortgages after making sure that the payment capacity of the company is good; he also says that not everyone who has real estate can carry a mortgage. Vak›fbank, which particularly wants to support the Turkish establishments that need capital for expansion, allowed the use of 1 billion dollars in credit via its New York branch.

While money transfers were its priority during the initial years, the bank, which handles personal and commercial credit, also helps those who want to own a house in Turkey.

The bank deposits of approximately 10,000 people amount to close to 250 million Euro in Vak›fbank AG Europe.

Bek points out that contrary to the early days of Vak›fbank AG, money transfers to Turkey have diminished and adds that: “The Turkish people in Europe are getting poorer. They have also realized that they cannot return to Turkey for good. They are now able to take up a loan in Europe with a mortgage covering their home in Turkey. They look at the place like their home.” Bek adds that the Austrian banking deposit insurance fund gave EU a note of inspection of Vak›fbank AG and found the bank’s active quality to be good and its credit established. Among Bek’s plans is t o make it possible for the bank to have its own building.œ TurkofAmerica • 71

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ADVERTORIAL

SIMULATOR FLIGHT TRAINING IN THE FREE ZONE AT ISTANBUL ATATÜRK AIRPORT Gözen Aviation is now utilizing the most recent technologies as it provides simulator flight training for national and international pilots at a 2,000 square meter area at ‹stanbul AHL Free Zone. he recent recognition of Turkey’s potential in the aviation sector has brought with it significant investments to meet its new needs.

The most important of these investments has been realized in the Free Zone at ‹stanbul Atatürk Airport. The area

now hosts the ‘Simulator Flight Training Center’ project, a project which Gözen Aviation has been planning for the past three years. With this project ‹stanbul has put its name on the map among worldwide simulator training centers found in major parts of the world. Gözen Aviation, an important 16 • TurkofAmerica

name in civil aviation and one that owns the ‹stanbul International Flight Training Center (IFTC) with its capacity of four simulators, is now utilizing the most recent technologies as it provides simulator flight training for national and international pilots at a 2,000 square meter

area at ‹stanbul AHL Free Zone. The main reason for the selection of ‹stanbul for the flight center is that the ‹stanbul AHL Free Zone represents an ideal location to provide flight training to international as well as Turkish pilots. Thus, the Istanbul AHL Free Zone, centrally located in ‹stanbul and close to the Atatürk

Airport, was selected as the most suitable site for the purpose. The center, which will provide training for airline pilots from the Middle East and Eastern Europe, along with those employed at its domestic airlines, will enable millions of Euro to remain in Turkey every year and will also attract hard-currency income to the country. The local provision of this specialized training, which pilots are required to get every six months, will make it possible for domestic airline pilots to meet this requirement in their own country, at a lower cost and without any loss of time.

establishment and the operation of the Istanbul AHL Free Zone for a forty year period on a buildoperate-transfer basis. Since then, the investments the company has made in the area’s infrastructure and above-ground facilities have met the needs of both the area itself and many companies representing a number of different sectors. ‹SB‹ provides direct and indirect value added services for the Turkish

AIRPLANE SPARE PARTS AND LOGISTICS COMPANIES The free area also hosts companies that provide spare parts for airplanes, as well as those that meet the food, cleaning and other needs of airplanes and ships. These companies are able to carry out their activities with the advantage of commercial activity certificates that provide tax benefits for a tenyear period.

economy with its more than 2,000 employees in an area that hosts approximately 400 domestic and foreign companies, which are themselves leaders in their sectors.

ISTANBUL AHL FREE ZONE FOUNDER AND OPERATOR A.fi. In 1996 ‹SB‹ (Istanbul Atatürk Airport Free Zone Founding and Operating Joint Stock Comp) assumed the

‹SB‹, located directly adjacent to the Atatürk Airport in the center of Istanbul, a city with a current population of 13 million amd which ranks as one of the world’s leading

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industrial, financial and commercial centers, is located at the crossroads of international artery of commerce. The region has an important central business status with respect to trade in Turkey as well as world-wide. Due to easy access to markets and the technological infrastructure of business establishments, the area is presently 95% full. In recent years, the annual

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turnover of the region has exceeded three billion dollars and the current goal is to increase its trading volume to over 4 billion dollars in 2008. The region has been constructed within the framework of general concepts such as the development of large value added technologies, R&D activities and baseload, in contrast to other free zones where industrial production is emphasized. This means that

there are many companies in the region that provide the added value by means of their own qualified personnel. We believe that we are unique with our technological and secure infrastructure and established and high quality services. While the Istanbul Atatürk Airport Free Zone represents the smallest physical area among the other free zones in Turkey, it maintains the status of highest-volume zone in regard to trading volume per square meter.

‹SB‹ and AHL Free Zone Development 01.07.1996

01.01.2008

Investment Totals (US$)

3,500,000

50,000,000

Number of Companies in Free Zone

403

Total Area (mÇ)

40,000

180,152

Closed Space (mÇ)

7,297

58.870

Trade Volume (US$)

512 million

3.62 billion* *2007

FREE ZONES EXPECT POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS Free zones have generally been established for the purpose of enabling companies in our country to enter international markets and to compete with other companies in the world. However, in spite of advantages gained for the country and the direct and indirect employment possibilities, part of the tax advantages granted to free zones was rescinded by Law 5084, which went into effect in February 2004. Although the stated purpose of the law was to transform free zones to areas where manufacturing would be emphasized, new companies avoided these areas due to the fact that few advantages were to be gained. The lack of incentives in the current law is dri-

ving Turkish manufacturers and international trade companies towards overseas free zones. As in other developing countries, incentives in Turkey for production and international trade should continue. Presently, there are some legal arrangements that are being planned in favor of the free zones. We hope that these endeavors will open the way for the development of the Turkish free zones and the Turkish economy. œ TurkofAmerica • 17

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WIEDNER & ILTAR

WIEDNER & ILTAR’S 20-YEAR LEATHER ADVENTURE ‹ltar, who says that they annually sell approximately 500,000 items, manufactures products that sell for 15-2500 Euro. ienna – The Turkish entrepreneurs in Austria who own business establishments deal with different sectors such as food, retail, confection, tourism and construction. According to estimates, forty Turkish companies in and around Vienna are notable for their size and capacity. Vural ‹ltar, a bus›nessman who is a partner of the Wiedner & ‹ltar Leather Group, has been in the leather garment business with his associate Wiedner since 1989 and now is trying to create his own trademark, along with producing leather garments for large chain stores.

After studying business at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, ‹ltar received an MS in the field and then returned to Turkey for a period of time. Later, he returned to Austria to continue in business life. He set off by marketing Turkish-made products in Austria, but later started to produce his own goods. From 1989-1997 he worked as a leather wholesale dealer for Central Europe, mostly for Austria and Germany. Attracted by the lower labor costs in Pakistan, India and China, he turned his sights towards Asia. Today he works with 16 different factories in those three countries. ‹ltar, who manufactures under the brand names Montgomery, Pascalini, Different and Traction, also produces for famous brand names in Turkey. Along with leather clothing, he also makes accessories, such as leather bags, gloves and belts. 500,000 ITEMS ‹ltar, who says that they annually sell approximately 500,000 74 • TurkofAmerica

Vural Iltar.

items, manufactures products that sell for 15-2500 Euro. He states that their market in Turkey is ahead of the one in Austria and that he plans to complement the Montgomery brand with other textile products under the same brand name. The collections of the company, which organizes two col-

lections per year for the market, are composed of 120 varieties of products. ‹ltar is preparing to move his 12-person staff in the main Wiedner & ‹ltar building to a new building in Vienna. The new place in 12 Vienna, which covers an area of 2000 square meters, will serve as the company headquarters and showroom.

Wiedner & ‹ltar entered into the Canadian and US markets with its leather garments and bags through the intercession of a designer. This July it delivered its first shipment to North America. ‹ltar says, “The USA is a large and interesting market for us. We want to be there perman e n t l y . ”œ

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PERGAST

SELLS 400 TONS OF PIZZA SAUCE ANNUALLY Pergast carries over 2,500 varieties of products, which they also export to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Mustafa Demirhan.

ienna – In the Austrian capital of Vienna, just as in Germany, Turkish entrepreneurs have heavily concentrated on the wholesale food and gastronomy sectors of the market. The wholesale food buisness is the first to come to mind in cities where Turks make up a big part of the population. The food wholesale and retail business was born from the need to consume food suited to their own tastes.

An immigrant to Vienna in 1980, Mustafa Demirhan wandered aimlessly for nearly eight months before finally finding a job at a carpentry workshop. He worked in carpentry until 1985. In 1983 he earned a truck-driving license and began working as a truck driver. He independently finished middle school. In addition to his 76 • TurkofAmerica

truck-driving license, he also obtained a license to drive taxis. In 1993 he bought a restaurant with a friend and together they entered the world of gastronomy. Ironically, they ended up owning an Italian pizza parlor when they had originally intended to open a Kebab restaurant. In 1998, after running the pizza restaurant for five years, Demirhan became 50 percent partner in Pergast, a company operating in the food wholesale and distribution business. The company gradually began to outgrow its space. In 2006 they moved to their current location, a 3,200 square meter space in Vienna’s 12th District. Wholesalers and retailers can purchase from the food warehouse where restaurantiers and end customers also shop. Pergast carries over 2,500

varieties of products, which they also export to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Products made especially for Turkish and Italian cooking are at the forefront of this 23-person company. “What sets us apart,” says Mustafa Demirhan, “is that along with Turkish food products, we are also focused on selling products made especially for Italian and Austrian kitchens.” PIZZA SAUCE AND CORN Coming in on top of all the products that Pergast sells are the corn and pizza sauce carrying their name brand. Pergast sells roughly 20 containers of pizza sauce and 12 containers of corn annually. (One container holds 23 thousand kilograms of product on average.) Demirhan says they want to enter the retail busi-

ness by opening a market in the future and plan to grow by increasing the variety of their products. He underlines the fact that Austria is a tax country with annual growth rates around four to five percent and he stresses that increasing their variety of products for restaurants is an important factor for their growth. In addition to the Pergast name brand, they also produce meat and meat products under the Ulkem brand which is sold to anywhere from 80 to 120 customers daily. With nearly 1,000 customers, he explains that 300 of them are regular buyers. Originally from Kaman, Kirsehir, Demirhan is the father of two children and one of 12 siblings. Other than one sister, the rest of his family members reside in Turkey.œ

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ÜÇLER BAKERY

HE COULDN’T BE THE BAKERY’S DRIVER BUT BECAME ITS BOSS

The bakery, which is operated by Mehmet Ali Çankaya, a businessman, has 53 employees.

Üçler Backereibetriebs GmbH is a major supplier, which fills 10-15 % of Vienna’s need for bread. urkey, which is number one among the countries of the world in consumption of bread, also possesses the technology important in the development of the work of a baker. According to a survey done by the Turkish Public Union in 2006, the annual bread consumption, in kilo/ person, is 71 in Denmark, 51 in Finland, 62 in Germany, 68 in Italy, 60 in the Netherlands, 58.5 in Spain and goes up to 128 in Turkey. 220,000 Turks who live in Austria obtain bread from Turkish bakeries in the country. It is estimated that in Vienna, which has a population of 1.7

78 • TurkofAmerica

million, there are approximately 40 Turkish bakeries, large and small. Among bakeries that produce bread on an industrial scale, Üçler Backereibetriebs GmbH is a major supplier, which fills 10-15 % of Vienna’s need for bread. The bakery, which is operated by Mehmet Ali Çankaya, a businessman, has 53 employees. Çankaya came to Vienna in 1982, started to work as a driver at the bakery but because he was unfamiliar with the city he couldn’t continue in that job. He had to quit.

Over the next three months he was able to regain confidence in himself. He returned to the bakery. First he worked as a driver for five years and then as the manager of the bakery, again for five years. He bought the bakery in 1994. So, he became the boss of the bakery where initially he was unsuccessful as a driver. Çankaya, who took two expert bread makers into the business as partners, now also produces farina-based products such as baklava and börek, in addition to bread. Üçler, which is the largest ba-

kery in the ethnic market, also sells bread to such supermarket chains in Vienna as Hoffer, Mercur and Spar. The facilities of the bakery in District 12 Vienna, which hosted another Austrian bakery for 100 years, covers an area of 970 square meters. The equipment in the bakery was imported from Turkey. Üçler, which produces 47 different varieties of bread, owns four other retail stores. Çankaya states that they will continue to expand the bakery and do not plan to get involved in a different kind of b u s i n e s s .œ

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