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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
March 3 2012
What is important is substantiating the symbol
by Mehmet Ali Birand
The Turkish Lira has a symbol now. However, the value of your money is
more important than the aesthetics of it symbol.
Let's leave aside meaningless debates such as: `it looks like the
symbol of the Armenian currency,' or `it's not pretty.' What is really
important is how we are going to use this symbol.
Almost every currency has a symbol, but the world only knows the
symbols of the strong currencies. Up until now, we did not even know
whether the Armenian currency or the Iranian currency had a symbol.
We will get used to our lira's symbol and keep it in our heads as
long as our economy remains strong, guarded against inflation, as long
as our money does not lose its value in our eyes.
I also see a political message behind the timing of the symbol's
appearance. Abdullah Yıldırım from daily Habertürk has also mentioned
this. The political message can be interpreted as Turkey's coldness
toward the European Union, and especially that it is never considering
entering the eurozone currency. Obviously, the Turkish Lira is
determined to stand on its own feet.
I am sure Brussels has already noted this step.
Why did Ertegün not consider a Turkish University?
Late Ahmet Ertegün's wife Mica Ertegün has given the biggest donation
in the history of the United Kingdom's famous Oxford University: she
gave it $41 million.
The British have jumped in the air.
There will be scholarships awarded to graduate students with this
money. The most brilliant students will be selected and they will be
assisted in their further achievements.
It is an extremely gracious donation. This suits the Ertegüns.
I know both late Ahmet and his wife Mica Ertegün very well; they are
people I love and respect. However, I could not help thinking, `Why
did Mica not consider a donation to a Turkish university?'
It is not only me, others have thought about it too: Cengiz
SemercioÄ?lu mentioned it in his column yesterday.
Why did a family who loves, supports and invests in Turkey prefer Oxford?
Oxford University is already among the most famous in the world. The level
of those graduating from there is self-evident. Wherever they go, they
are immediately selected.
Also, Oxford already has the means, it has no problem. It is an
institution that can easily find money when it needs it.
More than anybody else, Turkey needs qualified, well-trained people.
For example, why not donate to Ã-zyeðin University, or another
foundation university, but Oxford?
For sure, the Ertegün family made its own calculations, and has its
own personal relations. The money is theirs; they can donate it
wherever they wish. But I still wonder, why not a Turkish university?
With that amount of money a few universities could have shined.
Did they think their money would go to wrong places, I wonder?
Or, did they presume that it would not have provided the expected prestige?
In any event, again, I guess these kinds of problems originate from
ourselves, as we were not able to put a Turkish university into Mica
Ertegün's mind.
Let's end this comedy of naming
Naming roads and universities after significant names of the day and
then, after those names have fallen from grace, trying to change them
is an old habit of ours.
The military takes over the government, so we name the skies and the
stones Kenan Evren. We have streets, schools, military barracks named
after coup leaders.
I am not talking about naming institutions after historic
personalities, famous commanders, outstanding artists. I am talking
about something else.
Several municipalities use the same method to salute to their party,
setting up a mechanism that would serve their interests.
Is it not time to end this comedy now?
We make a fool of ourselves and we also disgrace those whose names we
put up and then erase.
March/03/2012
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
March 3 2012
What is important is substantiating the symbol
by Mehmet Ali Birand
The Turkish Lira has a symbol now. However, the value of your money is
more important than the aesthetics of it symbol.
Let's leave aside meaningless debates such as: `it looks like the
symbol of the Armenian currency,' or `it's not pretty.' What is really
important is how we are going to use this symbol.
Almost every currency has a symbol, but the world only knows the
symbols of the strong currencies. Up until now, we did not even know
whether the Armenian currency or the Iranian currency had a symbol.
We will get used to our lira's symbol and keep it in our heads as
long as our economy remains strong, guarded against inflation, as long
as our money does not lose its value in our eyes.
I also see a political message behind the timing of the symbol's
appearance. Abdullah Yıldırım from daily Habertürk has also mentioned
this. The political message can be interpreted as Turkey's coldness
toward the European Union, and especially that it is never considering
entering the eurozone currency. Obviously, the Turkish Lira is
determined to stand on its own feet.
I am sure Brussels has already noted this step.
Why did Ertegün not consider a Turkish University?
Late Ahmet Ertegün's wife Mica Ertegün has given the biggest donation
in the history of the United Kingdom's famous Oxford University: she
gave it $41 million.
The British have jumped in the air.
There will be scholarships awarded to graduate students with this
money. The most brilliant students will be selected and they will be
assisted in their further achievements.
It is an extremely gracious donation. This suits the Ertegüns.
I know both late Ahmet and his wife Mica Ertegün very well; they are
people I love and respect. However, I could not help thinking, `Why
did Mica not consider a donation to a Turkish university?'
It is not only me, others have thought about it too: Cengiz
SemercioÄ?lu mentioned it in his column yesterday.
Why did a family who loves, supports and invests in Turkey prefer Oxford?
Oxford University is already among the most famous in the world. The level
of those graduating from there is self-evident. Wherever they go, they
are immediately selected.
Also, Oxford already has the means, it has no problem. It is an
institution that can easily find money when it needs it.
More than anybody else, Turkey needs qualified, well-trained people.
For example, why not donate to Ã-zyeðin University, or another
foundation university, but Oxford?
For sure, the Ertegün family made its own calculations, and has its
own personal relations. The money is theirs; they can donate it
wherever they wish. But I still wonder, why not a Turkish university?
With that amount of money a few universities could have shined.
Did they think their money would go to wrong places, I wonder?
Or, did they presume that it would not have provided the expected prestige?
In any event, again, I guess these kinds of problems originate from
ourselves, as we were not able to put a Turkish university into Mica
Ertegün's mind.
Let's end this comedy of naming
Naming roads and universities after significant names of the day and
then, after those names have fallen from grace, trying to change them
is an old habit of ours.
The military takes over the government, so we name the skies and the
stones Kenan Evren. We have streets, schools, military barracks named
after coup leaders.
I am not talking about naming institutions after historic
personalities, famous commanders, outstanding artists. I am talking
about something else.
Several municipalities use the same method to salute to their party,
setting up a mechanism that would serve their interests.
Is it not time to end this comedy now?
We make a fool of ourselves and we also disgrace those whose names we
put up and then erase.
March/03/2012
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress