Turkey's renaissance and the need for cross cultural communication

Turkey's renaissance and the need for cross cultural communication

Published in Turkish Daily News of October 11, 2007

Hans A.H.C. de Wit

For the past five years I have been asked to help Turkish companies on their way to West Europe, and West European and American companies to get grounded in Turkey. I must say, it was a pleasure, all of these trips to mainly the Netherlands and Germany with my Turkish friends, and to see the surprised faces of West European and American companies on their counter visits when I drove them around in Istanbul. And drinks and food, with a spectacular view over the Bosporus or over the business district of Maslak, Istanbul. But I also noticed something of my West European fellow country people and Americans as well: unfairness toward Turkish business vivacity and culture.

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You are in Turkish politics: Smile!

Monday, July 9, 2007 Turkish Daily News

Hans A.H.C. de Wit

Hardly any Turkish politician has the charisma, uses the appropriate language, or simply has the imagination to unite the Turkish nation. From right to left wing, from conservative to socialist, if only one of these present-day politicians had even 10 percent of the magnetism or the vision Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had, Turkey would be treated with more respect than it could ever dream of. And misanthropy would not flourish on Turkish soil. Atatürk started a new era for Turkey decades ago, and past and present politicians should complete in his spirit what he could not finish.

Turkish communication atmosphere
In recent weeks, I have witnessed some interesting developments in Turkey. For me, these have highlighted problems associated with the top-down flow of communication in Turkish politics, which lacks encouragement on meso-level and civil organization to be part of a communication platform. A platform that can have the layout of the physical infrastructure (communication and power distribution systems) especially on that of education, research and technology policy that is oriented toward improving the existing communication environment where the Turkish nation can be competitive, not only in business, but in politics as well.

The principles of the foundations of the republic of Turkey don't have to be violated; only the communication atmosphere will be improved. Whilst there are many issues in Turkish politics today, this article solely addresses those to do with communication.

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Quoted or...

After my column Cyprus and the EU - What matters is the perception I got a request from an American journalist in San Fransisco for a written interview about Cyprus.
I gave him some answers on his questions related to Cyprus, and that was it.
Here is the article.
Therefore I am surprised to see myself quoted on matters of religion and the Armenian issue.
I didn't say anything about that. I wrote something in my column Turkey needs confidence, not fear. As a result of this column, I got many angry reactions from the Armenian diaspora.

Anyway, this week my column is about Communication in Turkish politics.

Turkey needs more publicity, not propaganda

This article is published in the Turkish Daily News of April 24, 2007

If Turkey wants to have a peaceful, stable and tolerant image in the world through a pluralistic society, which it claims to be, Turkish society must be based upon freedom of speech, freedom in the economical sense and equality in social life. And the flow of information must be as free as a bird.
Turkey is to some (too) far right wing European politicians what garlic is to vampires: the mere mention of it sends them into convulsions. They try to associate Turkey in the public opinion with bully talkers, ultra nationalism and intolerance against other faiths. It is simple for them: Turkey, as a country, threatens, suppresses and denies “others.” Yes, Turkey is also responsible for this, as it has been sending out decades of ambivalent power play with words like, “The world is watching us at each step we take,” or “Let us do it our way.”

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Concept maker or (copy) writer

When I wrote my first article (a simple press release) some 20 years ago, people liked my style, the concept, but were very critical about my (Dutch) grammar. So, I improved it since then. But since I think in concepts, I write and never have an eye for the grammar. That stayed so when I worked as a copy writer: always someone was proofreading what I produced.

Especially when you write on a computer, you don't see your own typo faults, and that's a fact.
Now I am writing in English for almost 10 years. I thought that I developed this language better than French, which was for a long time my second language (besides German), but after harsh criticism of a Turkish Lady in Florence, Yasemin (view her blog), I decided to appoint her as my editor. Also since I write columns once in a while. She thankfully accepted the job..))

I am a concept maker, with eyes for details, but not for grammar. Long live the Editor, but the Concept maker is still Alive!

The world really doesn't know what really happened in Cyprus

The world really doesn’t know what really happened in Cyprus and why Turks occupied it. A paradigm shift within the EU on how to perceive Cyprus is needed, and the only one who can do this are the Turks, who should tell their story more effectively.
Cyprus and the EU - What matters is the perception

This article is published on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 in The Turkish Daily News
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Cyprus and the EU: what matters is perception

This article is published in the Turkish Weekly of March 31, 2007

The first time I heard about the Cyprus issue and the divided island, was when I was 16 years old, just back from a nice holiday in Italy. I remember hearing that the Turks invaded Cyprus: the Turks did it again. At least that was the news in the Netherlands. There was no internet, no international television channels like CNN, BBC World which are now broadcasting worldwide: we were dependent on printed media. No real-time coverage.

When I made my first trip to Turkey in 2002, 26 years later, I immediately clashed with Turkish people over Cyprus: in my opinion Turkey was wrong and they were the ones to blame for the status quo on Cyprus.
I was also annoyed that my Turkish friends referred to Cyprus as ‘Baby land’ while talking about it, as if it was a colony of their Turkey: their Motherland. The vast majority of them had an outspoken opinion about ‘Peace Mission to Cyprus’; it was the only solution to stop the violence over there. And it belongs to Turkey.

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Turkey needs to express itself better to the world

This article is published in Turkish Daily News of March 15, 2007.

What Turks miss is that the promotion of a country is most effectively done by its individual citizens. Turkish patriots would do a better job if they stopped hacking Greek and Kurdish Web sites, and start launching their own blogs that will give the taste of Turkey to foreigners.
Turkey might not have diamonds but it sits on silver, gold and bronze: Many civilizations have left traces in Turkey. However, it looks like the Turks are the last to acknowledge it, or simply they don't care. Turkish history books are heavily focused on Atatürk. Yes, Atatürk was a visionary, but Turkey should focus on its real culture and heritage. There is a lot to discover without falling into political debates all the time, damaging once again Turkey's image by sending out dualistic and schizophrenic signals.

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My queen visits my country

This article is published in Turkish Daily of March 1, 2007.

As a Dutch man living in Turkey, the visit of my queen here is highly symbolic. First I should drop a note to other Dutch men and women who will be accompanying Her Majesty and thus visiting Turkey soon: Don't fear the taxi drivers. They are my best friends in Istanbul. They don't act like the "Taliban" – the common nickname for the taxi drivers in Amsterdam – instead they treat you with respect. Yesterday I took a cab; it cost me just 4 YTL and before I left the car, the driver told me to wait. Then he suddenly walked around to open my door. Yes, before my queen arrived in Istanbul, I was treated like royalty here.

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‘My Queen’ and ‘My Country’

Published on February the 28th 2007 in Turkish Weekly.

Are you Dutch? Or are you from the Netherlands or Holland? And what kind of language do you speak over 'there': "German", "Allamagne", "Dutch"?
And why are you dressed up like Orange monkey’s when your national football team plays a football match?
And yes, we Turks know that your Dutch football teams: AZ, PSV and again AZ kicked our Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Kayserispor etc. out the European league this year. Thank you!
And why is the color Orange so special for you? Why not a simple tricolor: Red, White and Blue? Because the French once occupied the Low Lands: the Netherlands?
And why are the Dutch always so tall? And, yes, you Love Heineken? What about Raki, our national Liquor? No thank you.

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Turkey’s Image – the final One

This article is published on February 27th in Turkish Weekly.

Back to the criteria. In Turkey’s image part - 1, I introduced the Famous Six: the criteria of the Nation Brand Hexagon™ as devised by Simon Anholt. The first three: Export, Tourism and Governance are described in that same article. While writing about the last three parts, Hrank Dink was killed, and I wrote an Intermezzo: Turkish Image part 2a. The forth criteria is about Investment climate, which worthy of its own article, it is described in Turkey’s Silent Revolution. Last but not least come what are, in my opinion, the most important issues: Turkish Culture and Heritage and Turkey's biggest asset, its citizens.
Therefore, this is my final article about Turkish Image. It will complete the general image of Turkey from my point of view but guided by the points set out by the Nations Brand Index™ of Simon Anholt.

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Turkeys needs confidence, not fear

Published in Turkish Daily News of 16 February 2007

Istanbul cannot be renamed Constantinople anymore: Istanbul is a brand name.

Is Turkey acting responsibly in the international scene? Looking at it from the point of view of an independent communication manager, I would say “no,” at least “not always.” Turkey wants to be loved very much and as everyone knows, if you are desperately seeking love, you won't get it.

Actually, Turkey is facing hot issues these days, mainly unsolved problems of the past. Problems which became ghosts haunting Turkish identity: the alleged Armenian genocide (or shall we call it, for a change, democide) and Cyprus. There is also the ongoing hostility with some of Turkey's neighbors, like Armenia, Greece (still) and Iraq. But to make these things clear, Turkey must withhold its traditional way of reacting in order to become a serious and rational sparring and business partner. International statesmen and diplomats always appear rational and employ PR agents to guide them and make them understandable. Why not in Turkey? Since when is nationalism more important than the prosperity and health of a nation and its citizens? Nationalism becomes more and more an empty word these days.

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Turkish Silent Revolution

Published in Turkish Weekly of February 12, 2007

Since 2001 Turkey is in transition. Better to say: it’s undergoing a real revolution, an economical one. Not forced by the EU since it started accession talks but helped by the World bank and IMF. And Turkey is following the EU in relations with social, political and economical reforms. And as a matter of fact regarding the latter, it’s obvious that Turkey is doing pretty well.

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The Tragedy of Turkey

This article is published in Turkish Daily News of January 13, 2007

The branding of a country has become a crucial issue in today's world. Whether we like it or not, globalization enforces countries to compete with each other. Self-supporting economies, one of which was Turkey until the beginning of the 1980's, are simply anachronistic today. Those who still believe in that protectionist economic policy should just look at Zimbabwe or North Korea.
The branding of a country is important not only for the attention and trust of foreign investors but also for the choices of tourists. It also reflects the country's social, political and economic achievements. And, the products that a country sells abroad are a definitive aspect of its brand. In all these regards, Turkey is not doing well.

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Turkey's reputation is at stake, not its honor

This article is published in Turkish Daily on February 6, 2007

The international perception of Turkey is still unfavorable. And the Turkish media at large is collectively responsible for this.

The killing of Hrant Dink shows the fragility of Turkey's image. Certain internal and international nationalistic groups “hijacked” his death while other opportunists misused “his friendship” for their own purposes. The Turkish newspapers were full of condemnation, and the foreign press saw an opportunity to show the difficult lives of independent Turkish journalists and writers, exploring how some even have bodyguards and use police protection…

The common man on the street in Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara and Mersin might curse me for saying that Dink's death has to do with the ugly face of state propaganda, bad education and systematic massive misinformation. So, the tragic death of this fine journalist deserves more than just to offer an opportunity for a fleeting discussion. The doves that were released during his funeral instead of sacrificing another living being can be symbolic: peace for him and relieve the Turkish soul in mourning. And no more sensational news please, just let him rest in peace.

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Turkey's Image part 2a - an intermezzo

This article is published in Turkish Weekly on February 2, 2007

The killing of Hrant Dink shows how fragile Turkey’s image is. Certain internal and international nationalistic groups and other opportunists already ‘hijacked’ his death for their own purposes!
The Turkish newspapers were full of condemnation, and the foreign press saw an opportunity to show how difficult life for independent Turkish journalists and writers is: exploring that some even have bodyguards and use police protection!
I bet you that even in a polarized country like the USA, high profile journalist of the NYT, Washington Post, Atlanta Journal, LA times etc. are using ordinary taxi chauffeurs as their drivers…

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Turkish Image No 1.

This article is published in Turkish Weekly of January 13, 2007.

Branding of a country has become an important issue in the world of today. Whether we like it or not the globalization trend enforces countries to compete with each other.
Self supporting economies, which Turkey was until the beginning of the 1980’s, are an anachronism today. For those who still believe in that, look at Zimbabwe or North Korea and what it became.

Branding a country is not only for the attention, respect and trust of
investors, or for the hard valuation of the tourists, it must tell the story about a country which respects and gains developments throughout its social, political and economical decisions.

The image of a country is also made by the products which they sell abroad
Do we care about what these consumers think? Are they essential for our image? Yes. And are Turkish Vestel, Beko or Arcelik brand names in West Europe? No. In Poland? Maybe.

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A tale about Christmas and being the Perfect Stranger

This article is published in Turkish Weekly of December 27, 2006

Being raised up in the seventies, in the Netherlands in a village with not more than 16.000 people, I started to understand the world from a simple point of view: economy was booming, no inter cultural tensions, the communist were our enemy and, Christianity was divided in Protestants, Calvinists and Catholics. According to these lines we were dating each other. And Amsterdam was not far away, 30 km, but scared us since it was a worldly city with different perceptions and perspectives than we were used to handling.

Christmas was, by that time, a time of reflection. But became later more a time of only holiday, which we needed badly after all the rush and stress we put on our lives. And that time of reflection became more a time to tell ourselves how good we had it; it was a time of consumption, so we baptized our country into the consumption society.

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