Nurettin Özdebir, Chairman of Ankara Chamber of Industry (ACI), who participated in the 5th Meeting of Turkish Civil Engineers hosted by Gazi University, stated that 32 Turkish Companies exist amongst the biggest 225 companies of the world in construction business industry and pointed out that Turkey has the second biggest construction business capacity after China. Özdebir stated that only one reason lies behind the issue of why such number does not increase and told students that “We are not as successful in consultancy services as in construction business services. There are many duties of you in determination of such needs.’’ Özdebir stated that professional qualification is one of the most important needs of Turkey and noted that they, as the public sector, give the work of training of qualified engineers to the universities. Özdebir emphasized that university-industry cooperation means not only development of some projects, but private sector must take role in shaping of training and said that they neglect such point. Özdebir added that: ‘’Upon establishment of professional competence organization, the party to employ such persons must determine the requirements and examination must be held accordingly. Training programs must be organized according to the need of law. Until today, there was no legal obstacle for projecting of the biggest skyscrapers of the world by our friends graduated from civil engineering department. But, unfortunately, this is the situation. Today, we talk about reconstruction of 70 percent of our building stock. This constitutes main reason of the fact that measurement and evaluation is separated from education and training.’’
Necati Yağcı , Deputy Chairman of Turkish Contractors Association (TCA) Emphasized importance of construction industry for Turkey.
Yağcı stated that construction industry is a giant industry that induces production in more than 200 industries and directly provides employment for 2 million persons and stated that the other significant contribution of construction industry to the economy is export of construction materials and the foreign currency derived from overseas construction business services. Yağcı noted that as of the end of last year, Turkish contractors realized about 6 thousand 500 projects amounting to total 206 billion dollar in 94 countries of the world and added: ‘’Total amount of new projects undertaken in 2011 was 19,3 billion dollar. Out of such projects, 44 percent were undertaken in Euraisa, 24,5 percent in Middle-east, while 19,7 percent were undertaken in Africa regions. Be ready to go such regions’’. Yağcı stated that international competition environment is a challenging contest platform and noted that it requires high quality production, high productivity, risk management skills, determination to succeed, labor, effort and highly qualified labor force trained according to international standards. Yağcı emphasized the importance of respect to the nature and occupational safety in the works performed and said that ‘’Not only us but the whole humanity passes over the bridge we construct’’. Yağcı stated that as civil engineers, they must always remind that earthquake is the eternal fact of Anatolia and said the following:
In a line from past to today; Anybody from politicians to bureaucrats, from mayors to urban planning officials, from architects to engineers and contractors, construction site chief and even to the citizens not paying off has fault in the unplanned settlement that deforms our urban cities and increase of our building stock that is risky for security of life.
We need activation of a wide variety of legislation from public tender to zoning, earthquake, building inspection, construction materials and professional specialization fields as well as improvement of capacities of enforcing authorities and institutions.’’ Yağcı emphasized professional training and pointed out that ‘’urban planning officials, architects and engineers took role in change of zoning plans that makes cities uninhabitable with income purposes, licenses of buildings collapsed, reinforced concrete projects and inspection reports’. Necati Yağcı reminded that they announced their vision for 2023 and said that ‘’It is to establish a Turkish construction business brand, which is leader of its region, completed structuring in the domestic market and has influence in the world contracting industry, under the guidance of TCA. And to increase turnover of our industry to 100 billion dollar within the country and abroad and rank in the list of the biggest 225 international contractors list of the world with 40 companies’’. Akif Özkaldı, General Director of State Hydraulic Affairs shared his experiences in his student days. Özkaldı mentioned the importance of group work and said that ‘’We are good at individuality, but a bit deficient in group work’’.
Reference: yapi.com.tr
