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VETERAN MEMBERS OF THE TEKFEN FAMILY RECEIVE THEIR SENIORITY AWARDS
MANY HAPPY RETURNS!
Seniority periods are significantly above the industry averages
at Tekfen, and the group is exemplary in terms of employee loyalty
in Turkey. Corporate culture regards being a member of the “Tekfen
family” a privilege and holds its human resources above everything
else, which offers all Tekfen members a peaceful and secure place
to work in as part of a big family for many years. This environment
enhances employee loyalty and reflects directly on length of ser-
vice. Senior members of the Tekfen family receive awards and cer-
tificates for every ten-year period.
The first seniority award ceremony this year was held in Adana
on May 12. Sedat Yalçın from Tekfen Construction, the only one
qualifying for the 40 years seniority award this year, received his
award in Adana. It was interesting to note that Osman Yalçın,
Sedat Yalçın’s son, received a 10 years award this year. A total of
48 Tekfen personnel were awarded at the ceremony.
87 employees received awards at the Seniority Awards Cer-
emony held in Istanbul on May 17. Those who completed 10 and
20 years at the company received their respective awards from
Group Vice Presidents, while those with 30 years in the company
were awarded by Osman Birgili, President of Group Companies. A
special dinner was held at the Çırağan Palace on May 16 to give
Malik Arun, General Manager of Tekfen Manufacturing, and Reha
Yolalan, Tekfen Holding Vice President of Corporate Affairs, their
30 and 10 years awards, respectively.
We congratulate all our veterans who have received seniority
awards and wish them many happy returns.
Spring greeting
Created by Ali Nihat Özyiğit, the founding and honorary president of Tekfen
Holding, the Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden hosted the traditional
Turkish-Japanese meeting on April 8. Spring was greeted at the ceremony
under the blooming sakura trees, and a memorial event for the martyrs of
the Ertuğrul frigate was held for the eighth time.
A spot to breathe fresh air for İstanbulites, the Nezahat Gökyiğit
Botanical Garden (NGBG) greets the arrival of spring every year with its
blooming sakura trees. On the days when the 527 cherry saplings, given
as a present by the Japanese Sakura Foundation in 2005, begin to blos-
som, a special memorial event is organized to emphasize Turkish-
Japanese friendship. At the ceremony, the seamen who died when the
Ertuğrul frigate sank in Japanese waters 127 years ago are commemorat-
ed, while spring and the rebirth it promises are joyfully celebrated.
The ceremony this year was once again hosted by Ali Nihat Gökyiğit,
founder of the ANG Foundation and the NGBG, and was attended by
many nature lovers as well as Yoshifumi Sasatani, Japan’s Deputy Consul-
ate General in İstanbul, and Vice-Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu represent-
ing the Northern Sea Area Command. In his speech, Ali Nihat Gökyiğit
said, “Our cherry trees will blossom every spring with their matchless
flowers as they help us commemorate our martyrs and keep alive and
celebrate Turkish-Japanese friendship,” adding that the sinking of the
Ertuğrul frigate created the foundation of a friendship between two na-
tions, which will be passed on from one generation to the next.