Brain Drain in Turkish Energy Markets

On Sunday evening, October 23,2016 in Istanbul Zorlu PSM concert hall Hungarian pianist Havasi's concert started at 20:00 hours. We observed that 2200+ spectators filled the hall. The seat prices were sold for 100-150-200 liras. Istanbul's "crema de la crema" riches, star artists, celebrities, intellectual columnists were there. On the seats a fancy envelope had already been left for the spectators. Prior to the intermission, the artist talked about an incentive in the context of this envelope. The opportunity is as follows:

You pay 300 thousand Euros, you buy 5-year tenure Hungarian government bonds. You additionally pay an additional 60 thousand Euros for the expense. You get a residence permit in Hungary. 5-years later you give back the government bonds, then you get your money back. You get Hungarian citizenship, now you are a citizen of European community. Details were explained on their web address.

Classic music audiences are highly educated, so they were skeptical respond to this marketing. Most of them have other connections, possibilities and other associations.

It is not possible to live in capitalism and complain. Those who live abroad know very well. Racism and discriminations are very intense there. In fact, the Hungarian economy is in a bad situation. Is Hungary a country to live in? Is it better than us? I do not think so. Are people in Russia, in Shanghai-five countries etc. live in better conditions? Can Russia, China, Hungary be an alternative to Turkey? Does our people want to live like in Russia? No.

Can you take it back once you've delivered your money? If you will give the money and go to Hungary, then we can say, "Go ahead, it is your choice"

The same Hungarians built walls on their borders with barbed wire to avoid crossing of helpless Syrian Afghan immigrants not to carry their burden.

We are informed that the organizers of such a marketing have opened offices in Ankara, Istanbul, Izmir and other major cities.

People want to go abroad to migrate to a better life. Everything at sight is in compliance with the law. But the ethics of these marketing promotions we think are wrong, that is ruining image of our country. With these types of immigration marketing, we are moving out of a highly acclaimed, jealous, envied rich life standard, highly anticipated environment, and we run to a "failed state" where citizens plan to escape to other countries. These are not necessary, and these efforts should be stopped. That is an unnecessary activity of brain drain in our energy markets, sweeping all our young engineering capability.

The marketing of such a commercial business during a classical music concert is an interesting and surprising activity. Of course the desire for immigration in some cases is so desperate.

I read another similar marketing the other day. Real estate agent sells house in Canada. You buy a house at a price of $ 500 thousand, a small 50m2 house. So you are investing in Canada. In return, Canadian immigration give you a residence permit in Canada. You go to Canada and spend 5 years there, finding a job, getting a job or starting a business. You do not interfere any wrong doing in Canada for 5-years, you do not pay even traffic tickets. Then you receive your Canadian citizenship.

The possibility of receiving residence permit was applied in Florida Florida property sales earlier. The same procedure is now promoted in real estate markets in Portugal, Spain and Ireland. The small countries of the European Union have made this practice a revenue source.

"If we would have promoted the same marketing of the residence permit in our country for the Middle-Eastern immigrants, we would have sold them a 5-year Turkish Treasury bill for the residence permit."

So, instead of the poor, helpless, uneducated, desperate people who have consumed our resources, we could have rich young educated people to contribute to our economy. Our hospitals would not be operated over capacity, our health services would not collapse. We would not have Tuberculosis, smallpox, polio. Our streets would not be full of beggars.

Other than Europe and North America, Uruguay, who does not want visa from us, is a very popular immigration country these days. But in Uruguay you need to learn Latin Spanish accent special for Uruguay.

New Zealand's English, like our authentic local speaking, is a difficult accent to understand separately. You need to learn the new accent there.

We hear conversations to buy homes in North Cyprus, or in Greece Western Thrace. If the war on our south border leaps to us, there is a saying, "If there is a malfunction, we can go to North Cyprus or Western Thrace as the last resort"

These are all nonsense. You can not live in another country with their residence permit so easily without getting job or building an enterprise to earn money. You can stay in any other country not more than 3-6 months.

You can go abroad to sell your goods and services, you buy and sell, you promote your business, visit, for sightseeing . This is all normal for business people. Long-term immigration is a separate case.

One has to think very well while taking this decision. There is nothing as beautiful as living in peace with their loved ones in their own country.

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Haluk Direskeneli, is a graduate of METU Mechanical Engineering department (1973). He worked in public, private enterprises, USA Turkish JV companies (B&W, CSWI, AEP), in fabrication, basic and detail design, marketing, sales and project management of thermal power plants. He is currently working as freelance consultant/ energy analyst with thermal power plants basic/ detail design software expertise for private engineering companies, investors, universities and research institutions. He is a member of ODTÜ Alumni and Chamber of Turkish Mechanical Engineers Energy Working Group.

This article is written for the "EurasiaReview" news web site.

http://www.eurasiareview.com/author/haluk-direskeneli/

Prinkipo, November 24, 2016