8
our company’s standards, from engineering
to procurement, through management and
finally construction itself. Sustainable mar-
ket conditions are also assumed and expect-
ed. Simply going into a country to complete
one single project and then departing may
not be the most logical thing to do. That is
why we monitor and periodically report the
country’s political and economic develop-
ments very carefully. We travel a lot and we
also read a lot.
Uluç Keskin:
It’s vital that we do not reject
any request for a visit, a project or a meeting
without serious evaluation first, and with-
out studying, listening and understanding.
We cannot have any prejudices or precon-
ceived notions. There have been times when
interesting suggestions have arisen of their
own accord. We have to take every offer seri-
ously and appraise all of them. We are in
touch with many people and more often
than not, making the right decision means
choosing the right person.
How many people are there in your
team?
Uluç Keskin:
We are a team of 12 at our
headquarters. We have representation in
Casablanca, Azerbaijan, Qatar and Saudi
Arabia too and liaison offices in Moscow,
Ashkabat and Baghdad. We also work with
the Council for Foreign Economic Relations
(DEİK) and have membership of certain
business councils. The conversations and
contacts initiated at such gatherings can
lead to interesting places.
What differences do you see between
in the style and structure of the Turk-
ish contracting sector in the past and
now, and in terms of geography? And
where does Tekfen stand amidst these
changes?
Fatih Can:
Contracting as a sector is well
suited to the Turkish character and to our
culture. Throughout our history, Turks have
been getting on their horses, conquering
new lands and settling down, getting organ-
ised and adapt very easily. This has been our
story from Central Asia all the way to the
Balkans. The contracting sector has devel-
oped with these same urges and instincts.
“Do you need me?” “Yes!” “Where?” “In Lib-
ya.” “I’m flying in on the next plane. A
month later, I’ll bring a thousand workers
over…” No other culture or nation has this
same drive or impulse. It is deeply ingrained
in our culture. But this style of doing busi-
ness is now coming to an end. Countries and
companies with lower labour costs are en-
tering the playing field, which means the
previous way of doing business is no longer
an appropriate model. Simply moving to a
new place is not a long-term solution. We
need to improve our technology, which
means we have to have expertise in certain
fields. The essential question is, how can we
move up to a higher level of technology? If
we do that, we can continue to prosper in
the markets in which we have a presence
and experience. Moving into new markets
will also be easy if we manage to utilise more
sophisticated technology. We do a proper
job wherever we have a presence. Our work
is of a high quality and we stand by our com-
mitments. But there are also places we can-
not take our workers, due to visa problems
and other such obstacles. How can we oper-
ate in these places? That is when you need
to use your technological skills and your
management prowess. These are the things
we need to build on. With the new markets,
we need to concentrate on the technologies
in which Tekfen is expert.
How are you working on these issues?
Fatih Can:
Everything in the world is now
connected to technology. We need to be pru-
dent in this area. We cannot do everything.
We need to choose the areas in which we can
and will operate. In other words, expert con-
tractor work is what we should be doing. We
have certain specified priority areas. When
identifying these areas, we don’t just think
of today but of needs that may emerge in
the future, whilst also taking sustainability
into consideration. Water purification, for
instance…. Water purification technology is
at the forefront of the technologies in which
we are aiming for high profiency. It is not a
new area, and we are trying to enter this
field in such a way as to be able to satisfy all
the demands from A to Z, from technology
through to turnkey projects. We do not
want just the contracting part. Contractors
build and hand over the facility to its inves-
tor. In other words, they work to a specified
contract, within a specified framework,
whereas taking charge of project and its op-
eration requires a much more long-term ap-
proach. We are trying to have Tekfen Hold-
ing “on board” as an investor.
İlda Değirmentaş (Business Develop-
ment Coordinator, Water and Waste
Water Treatment Projects):
The issue of
water is a serious one all over the world.
There is talk afoot of “water wars” in the fu-
ture. That alone tells us how important wa-
ter is. Because clean water supplies are lim-
ited, reclaiming water and making it
available for reuse is an increasingly impor-
tant topic. Within the framework of the
“zero discharge” concept, it doesn’t matter
where you go, the reclaiming and reuse of
polluted and waste water is in increasingly
high demand. This is where technology en-
ters the frame. We as Tekfen do not possess
the technology at the moment, and are
therefore currently looking for technology
suppliers or business partners with whom
we can join forces. The main disadvantage in
this area is the fact that the water treatment
business remains small in scale next to Tek-
fen’s current projects. As such, the business
is profitable only if one is able to provide
technology as well. Since we don’t have this
technology, we wish to move ahead with a
partner. We have already initiated discus-
sions with candidate firms in Europe and
America. This venture may move ahead with
small steps, as there are already large and
experienced firms in the market. Neverthe-
less, regardless of the size of the projects we
undertake, we need to show that we set out
to be long-term players by using our own
methods and strategies and by committing
to Tekfen’s quality and using it as a bedrock.
Our greatest advantage in this respect is
that Tekfen has already proven itself wher-
ever it has conducted business, and we wish
to capitalise on this aspect to develop and
expand rapidly.
Fatih Can:
In its current guise, Tekfen
İnşaat is a construction firm. Although in-
vestments and operations may not fully cor-
respond to our current business model, we
have a holding company backing us. This is
the advantage of being a holding company.
One can move ahead rapidly under its con-
trol and coordination in partnership with
other companies. Water and renewable en-
ergy are our priority areas. As the global
economy stutters, so competition has in-
creased, and we have no choice but to be a
part of this competition. Because otherwise,
the moment you stop, you stumble and fall.
Which areas do our work and our pri-
orities in the field of renewable energy
cover?
Fatih Can:
The field of renewable energy
corresponds completely with the Tekfen
Group’s principles and vision. Opening a
space for ourselves in certain areas in the
field of clean and renewable energy is a stra-
tegic goal. The Business Development De-
partment is Tekfen’s representative in this
area. The work is closely monitored and co-
ordinated by Tekfen Holding. We are trying
to give birth to a new baby.
Sinan Seyhun (Business Development
Coordinator, Renewable Energy):
The
energy sector has its own dynamics. In wind
and solar power in particular, the actual con-
struction makes up only a fraction of the
business. 85% of the investment goes on