Konya is insecure and anxious because of crisis
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Radikal
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 06, 2009 00:00
Since Konya mainly relies on its self sources for producing and developing and has minimal debt, it is likely to survive the crisis. If the duration of the crisis however is a long one then this will result in a significant cost for Konya, which is known with its conservative identity
Konya, like Kayseri, has made visible strides forward in the industrial field since opening up to globalization and the free market by exploiting the European Union accession process and bringing forth individual entrepreneurship.
Konya’s geographic position, which is historically a transit point for trade, contributes to the cities economic dynamism and cultural transformation. With its multi faced and flexible industry, Konya has extensive infrastructure for large sectoral investments. It is considered the capital of small and medium sized enterprises, or SME’s, as 99 percent of its industry consists of SME’s and there are 32,000 of them in the province all together. There are 56,185 workplaces in the city of Konya according to the 2002 poll of the State Institute of Statistics and 135,443 people work there. When looked into export figures, there were 576 export companies in Konya in 2007, which rose to 654 in Jan-Apr period of 2008.
Interated in global economy
Konya exports to 148 countries and is well integrated into the global economy. According to a statement made by the Konya Chamber of Industry, or KSO, there are 12 leading sectors in the city, including, textiles, automotive supplies, machinery, leather and leather products, packaging and paper, and agriculture services.
The transformation of the city, that begun in the 2000’s, arose from its integration with the dynamics of globalization. Tahir Büyükhelvacıgil, president of KSO, said that although Konya was a city known for its conservative identity, it was one of the leading cities in Turkey thanks to the free market economics practiced alongside conservative- Islamic values since 1980. Konya has proved Islam and modernism can work together, Büyükhelvacıgil said. Konya is one of the provinces that receive the most shares from EU donations. Despite its conservative structure, the city houses a fairly open and proactive entrepreneurship when it comes to the EU. Globalization and the EU membership process adds to the dynamism Konya witnesses today.
Three historical factors can be cited as contributors to Konya’s success: the strong urban tradition it has had since ancient times; the Sufi tradition arising from Islamic mysticism and a cultural structure again based on Islam. Konya is a city that relies on its own sources for producing and developing, which leads to the understanding of the need to invest earnings in further production.
Moreover, there is a strengthening civil society tradition there. Konya is one of the cities that features the highest number of civil society organizations compared to population numbers. There are approximately 2,000 civil society organizations in Konya according to an article written in 2007 by Yasin Aktay and Abdullah Topçuoğlu, both scholars at Selçuk University. The Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed People, or MAZLUMDER alongside the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association, or MUSIAD, are just two of the more active ones. Next to these two, the chambers of industry and commerce also have strong ties to civil society organizations that are active in every area in Konya.
All these organizations and the cultural dynamics of the city have great input in the city’s development. However, Konya is having difficulties translating its economical dynamism and civil society development into a cultural wealth; creating cultural diversity and dynamism in terms of cultural life.
Just like Kayseri, the streets of Konya too, are empty after dark. There are fewer cultural activities to be had here. This is why Konya is the 46th city in the index of the CNBC-E Business magazine and 35th in the Deloitte and Education Consultancy and Research Center, or EDAM, index of competition despite all this economic success. The dynamism of economy has not yet reflected to urban habitability and competitive force.
Drought problems
While Konya should be focusing on improving its urban living with a focus on its cultural economy and diversity alongside its competitive force, the city is experiencing the anxiety of the global economic crisis. Moreover, Konya has faced serious drought problems, which have affected its agriculture sectors. These problems have not yet entirely been overcome. For all these reasons, Konya is anxious about the crisis, unemployment and economic recession. The city is calling out to the government for help. Hüseyin Üzülmez, president of the Konya Chamber of Commerce, or KTO and Deputy President of The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, or TOBB, gave an exclusive interview to a local newspaper in which he demanded help from the government for SME’s. Üzülmez said many problems would arise for the firms that were surviving with credit when those credits were called back. This will stop production and raise the threat of the dissolution of organized industry areas, according to Üzülmez. Konya may survive the crisis for the reasons explained above but if it lasts too long, its costs on the city’s economy will be too great to bear.
Konya’s geographic position, which is historically a transit point for trade, contributes to the cities economic dynamism and cultural transformation. With its multi faced and flexible industry, Konya has extensive infrastructure for large sectoral investments. It is considered the capital of small and medium sized enterprises, or SME’s, as 99 percent of its industry consists of SME’s and there are 32,000 of them in the province all together. There are 56,185 workplaces in the city of Konya according to the 2002 poll of the State Institute of Statistics and 135,443 people work there. When looked into export figures, there were 576 export companies in Konya in 2007, which rose to 654 in Jan-Apr period of 2008.
Interated in global economy
Konya exports to 148 countries and is well integrated into the global economy. According to a statement made by the Konya Chamber of Industry, or KSO, there are 12 leading sectors in the city, including, textiles, automotive supplies, machinery, leather and leather products, packaging and paper, and agriculture services.
The transformation of the city, that begun in the 2000’s, arose from its integration with the dynamics of globalization. Tahir Büyükhelvacıgil, president of KSO, said that although Konya was a city known for its conservative identity, it was one of the leading cities in Turkey thanks to the free market economics practiced alongside conservative- Islamic values since 1980. Konya has proved Islam and modernism can work together, Büyükhelvacıgil said. Konya is one of the provinces that receive the most shares from EU donations. Despite its conservative structure, the city houses a fairly open and proactive entrepreneurship when it comes to the EU. Globalization and the EU membership process adds to the dynamism Konya witnesses today.
Three historical factors can be cited as contributors to Konya’s success: the strong urban tradition it has had since ancient times; the Sufi tradition arising from Islamic mysticism and a cultural structure again based on Islam. Konya is a city that relies on its own sources for producing and developing, which leads to the understanding of the need to invest earnings in further production.
Moreover, there is a strengthening civil society tradition there. Konya is one of the cities that features the highest number of civil society organizations compared to population numbers. There are approximately 2,000 civil society organizations in Konya according to an article written in 2007 by Yasin Aktay and Abdullah Topçuoğlu, both scholars at Selçuk University. The Association of Human Rights and Solidarity for Oppressed People, or MAZLUMDER alongside the Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association, or MUSIAD, are just two of the more active ones. Next to these two, the chambers of industry and commerce also have strong ties to civil society organizations that are active in every area in Konya.
All these organizations and the cultural dynamics of the city have great input in the city’s development. However, Konya is having difficulties translating its economical dynamism and civil society development into a cultural wealth; creating cultural diversity and dynamism in terms of cultural life.
Just like Kayseri, the streets of Konya too, are empty after dark. There are fewer cultural activities to be had here. This is why Konya is the 46th city in the index of the CNBC-E Business magazine and 35th in the Deloitte and Education Consultancy and Research Center, or EDAM, index of competition despite all this economic success. The dynamism of economy has not yet reflected to urban habitability and competitive force.
Drought problems
While Konya should be focusing on improving its urban living with a focus on its cultural economy and diversity alongside its competitive force, the city is experiencing the anxiety of the global economic crisis. Moreover, Konya has faced serious drought problems, which have affected its agriculture sectors. These problems have not yet entirely been overcome. For all these reasons, Konya is anxious about the crisis, unemployment and economic recession. The city is calling out to the government for help. Hüseyin Üzülmez, president of the Konya Chamber of Commerce, or KTO and Deputy President of The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, or TOBB, gave an exclusive interview to a local newspaper in which he demanded help from the government for SME’s. Üzülmez said many problems would arise for the firms that were surviving with credit when those credits were called back. This will stop production and raise the threat of the dissolution of organized industry areas, according to Üzülmez. Konya may survive the crisis for the reasons explained above but if it lasts too long, its costs on the city’s economy will be too great to bear.