**MegaStarkan**
21-08-08, 14:18
Businessman and diplomat Yves-Marie Laouenan has been living in Turkey for the past 20 years. He believes the biggest barrier Turkey needs to overcome on its way to full membership in the European Union is its image abroad, which is sees as negative and incorrect. Laouenan, for one, has been working hard to better acquaint his countrymen with Turkey and believes everyone should take responsibility in this
YASEMİN SİM ESMEN
ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News
Except for his fair features and ever-smiling face, Yves-Marie Laouenan could have passed as a Turk with his near-perfect Turkish and his grasp of the Turkish way of business and living. Laouenan, who has headed the French Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul until March this year, has been living in Turkey for the past 20 years. He now heads L.D.S. Consulting, which helps foreign companies enter the Turkish market, find partners, as well as help them find land and build factories in Turkey. He also works hard to correct Turkey's negative image among his fellow countrymen.
“All opposition to Turkey's European Union accession is built on lack of knowledge about Turkey. In my 20 years in Turkey, I have organized for more than 100 French businessmen to visit Turkey. They were all extremely surprised,” he said.
Laouenan has full command of French, German, and English, which has paved the way for him to become a diplomat. “I am a real Frenchman but I have lived in foreign countries all my life,” he said. It was while working in Düsseldorf between 1983 and 1985 as the Secretary General of the Official Franco-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry that he first came to Istanbul for the Congress of French Chambers of Commerce.
“It was on June 21, 1985. I never forget the date because it was the first time that I saw the Bosporus. I discovered Istanbul. I knew nothing about it. It was a complete surprise,” said Laouenan. Then three years later, he was appointed to Istanbul as Commercial Counselor to the Chief of the French Economic Mission in Istanbul.
Fascinating years, big change
“These were fascinating years because these were the years of the new developing Turkey. These were the years following the 1980 military coup, the “Özal years” when Turkey was opening up to the world. Turks tend to forget but in the 1980s, it was hard even to find lightbulbs [in Turkey],” said Laouenan.
Laouenan believes the change Turkey has gone through in the past 20 years he has been living in Turkey has been enormous. “It was another Turkey, another Istanbul,” he said, adding that these changes had both positive and negative outcomes. “We thought the traffic was horrible back then, it is even more dangerous now,” he said.
During the years that Turkey has evolved, Laouenan has been working in various sectors. “I've had and interesting life here. I worked first for the French state, then for a cement company, and now as a consultant to foreign companies in Turkey,” said Laouenan, who still is the Vice President and Secretary General of the Union of French Chambers of Commerce in the World.
Because in his job Laouenan has been very close to businessmen, it was actually “simple people” whom he felt comfortable with. “I felt immediately at ease with Turks, especially with bakkal (grocery store owner), kapıcı (superintendent of apartment building), fishermen… Because their hearts are close to their minds. They are very spontaneous and show hospitality,” he said. Laouenan added: “There is a tradition of hospitality among Turks and foreigners are happy when that hospitality is extended to them also.”
Old relations, new angles
Laouenan said that although the number of French natives living in Turkey has declined in the 123 years the French Chamber of Commerce has been active, commerce between the two countries has increased. “The total turnover [of trade between the countries] is 9 billion Euros. This could be even better; I am optimistic for the future,” he said. He explained that 20 years ago, there were only nine French companies in Turkey while currently there are 265, employing 65,000 employees.
Laouenan believes progress needs to be made in the Turkish presence in France. He gave the examples of Turkish brands Arçelik/Beko, Temsa, and Belair that have become leading figures in the markets they serve in France. “These show that the French market is open to Turkish companies, but it also shows that the potential has not been discovered,” said Laouenan.
Turkey's incorrect image
Laouenan believes the relationships between France and Turkey can, from time to time, be stressful due to the incorrect image of Turkey in the French psyche. “We need to face it. Today, the average French citizen's knowledge of modern Turkey is low,” he said, adding that average French citizens knew more about the Ottoman Empire.
“The French media mentions Turkey when there are honor crimes, bombings, or because of the headscarf issue,” he said. Yet, Laouenan believes there have been developments in the past two years. “The Armenian issue, Sarkozy… These negative events actually had a positive side. The more people hear Turkey's name mentioned, the more people become curious about Turkey,” he said. He added that this has prompted people to travel to Turkey to find out for themselves.
“The Eurovision Song Contest held in Istanbul a couple of years ago was fantastic public relations for Turkey. In between songs, they would show images of Turkey and millions were looking at these images,” said Laouenan. He added that there was some work under way to better acquaint the French public with Turkey. He cited the Investment Support and Publicity Agency headed by Alparslan Korkmaz, and the French Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul as two institutes working toward this goal.
Laouenan explained that the majority of those who will vote for or against Turkey's EU accession are today's 15-year-olds. “It is time for teenagers of both countries to come together,” he said. He added that all social organizations, NGOs, organizations such as Rotaries and Lions, should set up exchange programs for the youth. He believes programs such as Erasmus, which has led the path of 60 French students to Turkey and many Turkish students to French universities, to be a very good examples.
“We need hundreds of ambassadors like Tarkan,” said Laouenan, referring to the popular Turkish singer who was the first Turkish artist to sell 500,000 albums in France with his single “Şımarık.” He added: “You go to a supermarket, and Tarkan is playing in the place. This is the way interest grows among youth.”
When Laouenan is in Istanbul, he does not have much free time. “In Turkish culture, there is no distinction between work life and private life. Strangely, I have grown used to it,” said the Frenchman with a smile, adding: “I think I am on my way to integration.”
Source: turkishdailynews.com (http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=111602)
YASEMİN SİM ESMEN
ISTANBUL – Turkish Daily News
Except for his fair features and ever-smiling face, Yves-Marie Laouenan could have passed as a Turk with his near-perfect Turkish and his grasp of the Turkish way of business and living. Laouenan, who has headed the French Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul until March this year, has been living in Turkey for the past 20 years. He now heads L.D.S. Consulting, which helps foreign companies enter the Turkish market, find partners, as well as help them find land and build factories in Turkey. He also works hard to correct Turkey's negative image among his fellow countrymen.
“All opposition to Turkey's European Union accession is built on lack of knowledge about Turkey. In my 20 years in Turkey, I have organized for more than 100 French businessmen to visit Turkey. They were all extremely surprised,” he said.
Laouenan has full command of French, German, and English, which has paved the way for him to become a diplomat. “I am a real Frenchman but I have lived in foreign countries all my life,” he said. It was while working in Düsseldorf between 1983 and 1985 as the Secretary General of the Official Franco-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry that he first came to Istanbul for the Congress of French Chambers of Commerce.
“It was on June 21, 1985. I never forget the date because it was the first time that I saw the Bosporus. I discovered Istanbul. I knew nothing about it. It was a complete surprise,” said Laouenan. Then three years later, he was appointed to Istanbul as Commercial Counselor to the Chief of the French Economic Mission in Istanbul.
Fascinating years, big change
“These were fascinating years because these were the years of the new developing Turkey. These were the years following the 1980 military coup, the “Özal years” when Turkey was opening up to the world. Turks tend to forget but in the 1980s, it was hard even to find lightbulbs [in Turkey],” said Laouenan.
Laouenan believes the change Turkey has gone through in the past 20 years he has been living in Turkey has been enormous. “It was another Turkey, another Istanbul,” he said, adding that these changes had both positive and negative outcomes. “We thought the traffic was horrible back then, it is even more dangerous now,” he said.
During the years that Turkey has evolved, Laouenan has been working in various sectors. “I've had and interesting life here. I worked first for the French state, then for a cement company, and now as a consultant to foreign companies in Turkey,” said Laouenan, who still is the Vice President and Secretary General of the Union of French Chambers of Commerce in the World.
Because in his job Laouenan has been very close to businessmen, it was actually “simple people” whom he felt comfortable with. “I felt immediately at ease with Turks, especially with bakkal (grocery store owner), kapıcı (superintendent of apartment building), fishermen… Because their hearts are close to their minds. They are very spontaneous and show hospitality,” he said. Laouenan added: “There is a tradition of hospitality among Turks and foreigners are happy when that hospitality is extended to them also.”
Old relations, new angles
Laouenan said that although the number of French natives living in Turkey has declined in the 123 years the French Chamber of Commerce has been active, commerce between the two countries has increased. “The total turnover [of trade between the countries] is 9 billion Euros. This could be even better; I am optimistic for the future,” he said. He explained that 20 years ago, there were only nine French companies in Turkey while currently there are 265, employing 65,000 employees.
Laouenan believes progress needs to be made in the Turkish presence in France. He gave the examples of Turkish brands Arçelik/Beko, Temsa, and Belair that have become leading figures in the markets they serve in France. “These show that the French market is open to Turkish companies, but it also shows that the potential has not been discovered,” said Laouenan.
Turkey's incorrect image
Laouenan believes the relationships between France and Turkey can, from time to time, be stressful due to the incorrect image of Turkey in the French psyche. “We need to face it. Today, the average French citizen's knowledge of modern Turkey is low,” he said, adding that average French citizens knew more about the Ottoman Empire.
“The French media mentions Turkey when there are honor crimes, bombings, or because of the headscarf issue,” he said. Yet, Laouenan believes there have been developments in the past two years. “The Armenian issue, Sarkozy… These negative events actually had a positive side. The more people hear Turkey's name mentioned, the more people become curious about Turkey,” he said. He added that this has prompted people to travel to Turkey to find out for themselves.
“The Eurovision Song Contest held in Istanbul a couple of years ago was fantastic public relations for Turkey. In between songs, they would show images of Turkey and millions were looking at these images,” said Laouenan. He added that there was some work under way to better acquaint the French public with Turkey. He cited the Investment Support and Publicity Agency headed by Alparslan Korkmaz, and the French Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul as two institutes working toward this goal.
Laouenan explained that the majority of those who will vote for or against Turkey's EU accession are today's 15-year-olds. “It is time for teenagers of both countries to come together,” he said. He added that all social organizations, NGOs, organizations such as Rotaries and Lions, should set up exchange programs for the youth. He believes programs such as Erasmus, which has led the path of 60 French students to Turkey and many Turkish students to French universities, to be a very good examples.
“We need hundreds of ambassadors like Tarkan,” said Laouenan, referring to the popular Turkish singer who was the first Turkish artist to sell 500,000 albums in France with his single “Şımarık.” He added: “You go to a supermarket, and Tarkan is playing in the place. This is the way interest grows among youth.”
When Laouenan is in Istanbul, he does not have much free time. “In Turkish culture, there is no distinction between work life and private life. Strangely, I have grown used to it,” said the Frenchman with a smile, adding: “I think I am on my way to integration.”
Source: turkishdailynews.com (http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=111602)