Since I started using my blog actively, I’ve been receiving constant questions from various channels. Many of these questions are similar. I’ll share these questions and my answers in this blog post. The series of frequently asked questions will continue as more similar questions are received. Each series will be comprised of 10 questions.
Because I believe answering frequently asked questions is a great way to express myself, I’ve created a section at the top of my blog titled ‘FAQ’ where you can quickly access these questions and their answers. This way, I aim to “explain myself better,” one of the main goals of my blog.
So, without further ado, let’s move on to the first 10 questions in this series:
1- Why do you write this blog, which sometimes feels like a diary?
I have four reasons for writing this blog. First, I want to share my knowledge and experiences with more people through my writing and to inform them. In my business and personal life, in addition to my involvement in civil society activities, I travel extensively, talk to people, and learn new things. Besides being curious, I constantly strive to improve myself. Consequently, I’ve accumulated significant knowledge on many important topics over time.
Second, I have a philosophy of my own. The basis of this philosophy is “living life to the fullest.” I believe it’s important to work hard and fulfill my responsibilities while also truly enjoying life. That’s why I use Pura Vida as the motto on my blog (see: http://www.serhansuzer.com/2014/02/26/pura-vida/)
Third, I’m writing to help you get to know me better. Everyone has an opinion about me and my family. What you read in the media or hearsay isn’t always accurate. You might find yourself receiving distorted information. I want you to hear about me and everything about me from my own perspective.
Finally, I live in a very stressful environment, and two things help me unwind and relax. The first is exercise, and the other is writing. I feel relaxed after completing an article. I often finish my article in one sitting.
2- What is your goal with the Support Project? Who are you connected to?
I’m dying to tell people this. I genuinely do all my civil society work to benefit humanity. In these times, you’re suffering even to do good. Many people say, “Now you’re doing this, but…” (there’s always a word ‘but’ in our people’s vocabulary) and ask, “What’s behind this?” He questions. Let me say right away, the sole reason behind this work is my desire to “be truly beneficial to society.” I want to reiterate the paragraph I wrote in capital letters in my previous article:
WE AT TİDER HAVE ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY GROUP, INSTITUTION, OR ORGANIZATION WHATSOEVER. AS CITIZENS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY, WE HAVE ONE PURPOSE: TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE IN NEED IN OUR COUNTRY STAND ON THEIR OWN FEET WHILE MEETING THEIR BASIC NEEDS. IMPARTIALITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND HONESTY ARE OUR THREE CORE PRINCIPLES.
3- What do you do to be an environmentalist? Are you truly an environmentalist?
I’m not one of those people who plant a few trees and show off about being an environmentalist. It’s my nature that when I say something, I always say it. I express it sincerely and stand behind it. When I proudly say “I’m an environmentalist” and advise everyone around me to “be an environmentalist,” I mean it completely, and I don’t just say it to sound good. I’ve been a Greenpeace member and support their work since my university days, nearly twenty years. Everyone at our energy company knows how sensitive I am to these issues. They also know I say, “I’ll fire anyone who cuts down a tree.” We don’t cut down trees. In the worst-case scenario, we transplant trees and plant another one next to the transplanted one. This is our unwavering rule at our energy company. Incidentally, I’d like to mention that I grew up with the most beautiful Junas tree in Istanbul. The magnolia tree in the garden of our house in Bebek, where I spent my childhood and youth, is legendary. I’d like to share with you an article by Hürriyet columnist Mehmet Yılmaz, who has written about this magnificent Junas tree in our house several times:http://www.milliyet.com.tr/2005/04/02/yazar/myilmaz.html
Here is our house in Bebek, where I spent my childhood and youth, located on the İnşirah slope, and the legendary Junas tree in its garden…
Environmentalism isn’t just about ‘loving trees.’ It’s about loving and respecting all living things. For instance, loving animals is equally important. It goes without saying, but I absolutely adore all animals. Animals are beautiful and simple creatures. They’re pure, sincere, and don’t haggle. They instantly recognize when they’re loved and respond accordingly. I don’t have a pet because I can barely care for myself, and I’m also aware that having a pet is a serious responsibility. I share a deep love for my mother’s, father’s, and sister’s dogs. Words can’t describe the reaction these dogs show when they see me (and of course, I happily reciprocate).
I’m the kid hugging the monkey in this picture. I’ve loved all animals for as long as I can remember.
Let me introduce you to my favorite dog, Betsy. She’s incredibly beautiful and loving, and she’s my dad’s.
4- You claim to be such an environmentalist, didn’t your family build Gökkafes?
Yes, our family business did. However, I was 10 years old when the foundation of Gökkafes (The Sky Cage) as it is popularly known, was laid. Incidentally, Gökkafes is a name the press has given to that building; we call it ‘Süzer Plaza.’ Because the word ‘kafes’ can be manipulated in other ways in our beautiful Turkish. I was still in my final year of university when construction was completed.
You should judge me by my own actions. That’s the fair thing to do.
On the other hand, I’ve spoken to many people about this. Sometimes I’ve even encountered people openly insulting my family (they didn’t know I was there). Of course, after all these heated discussions, I’ve often made the person who insulted me regret it, whether knowingly or unknowingly. I generally tell everyone I meet this: “You may not like the building, you may criticize it for ruining the skyline, and I respect that. That’s your opinion. But you can’t say the building is ‘illegal.’” Is it even possible to build an illegal building of that size in the heart of Istanbul? That building was built in full compliance with the law. All permits are in place. Our family won over 40 lawsuits to build it. These lawsuits took at least three years, and we even had a lawsuit that lasted nearly 10 years. Winning these lawsuits is based on the legal principle that “granted rights cannot be taken away.” Because while the initial project was short and wide, the person who had it rebuilt as a tall, thin building with the same square footage (the project had to be changed and the project had to be rebuilt from scratch, costing us four years) was the then-Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Then, it was the next mayor, an ear-nose-throat specialist mayor, who openly attacked the building, claiming it was a dagger stuck in the heart of Istanbul, and filed all sorts of lawsuits. In an environment where there is no state continuity, we were an investor caught in the middle. Furthermore, myths like “they changed the borders overnight” were circulated about us. This sounds very appealing, but it’s a fabricated statement. There’s absolutely no such thing. The area in which the building sits is the intersection of Beşiktaş, Şişli, and Beyoğlu. We filed a lawsuit to determine which municipality owned this triangular plot of land at that intersection. Three years later, the court, based on old title deeds, determined that the land belonged to the Şişli Municipality. It’s simply not true that we changed the border overnight. Sometimes, when I hear these stories from people who don’t know I’m there, I mock the other party by saying, “Wow, we weren’t aware of it. I didn’t know we had the power to change the borders overnight.”
My only self-criticism is that we insisted on building a structure of this height, despite having the right to do so. I made this clear to my father. Even if we incur significant commercial losses, I believe we shouldn’t have been so insistent on matters that violate public conscience.
Finally, I’d like to share my own perspective on buildings. In the future, unlike today, high-rise buildings will be replaced by buildings that are close to the ground and integrated with nature. In fact, in the future, concrete will not even be used. We will witness ‘self-sufficient’ homes and workplaces built with high technology, ‘self-powered.’
5- What social media accounts do you have?
I have Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. My Twitter account is inactive. I’m not planning on using it for now because it’s become a place where everyone constantly insults each other. With all due respect, I’m unfortunately forced to be selective because of the amount of nonsense posted on social media.
6- We know your brother Baran from the media, why aren’t you there? How can you be so different?
I’m generally not someone who enjoys being in the media. I only give interviews because of my work. Those who work in the tabloid press know us well. There was a time when they started using me as a tool for “here’s another heir to the Süzer family” (by the way, I have to say, I get really annoyed with the word ‘heir’), and I had a few conversations with reporters, and I told them I didn’t like being in the spotlight about my personal life, and that I was a good tabloid fodder. After telling them it wasn’t possible, I asked them not to take pictures. Thankfully, they respected my choice, with a few exceptions.
Generally, I prefer those around me to call me as “Serhan” rather than “Serhan Süzer.”
7- What are your general thoughts on energy?
Because I’m a staunch proponent of renewable energy, I can’t be neutral on this issue. I believe fossil fuels should only be used as raw materials. In other words, like oil in the petrochemical industry (for example, in the production of recyclable plastics) and natural gas in fertilizer production.
For our national interests and energy independence, we must prioritize our own resources. The current account deficit is, by far, the primary cause of energy imports. In fact, the figures involved are so large that it’s quite possible that we could run a current account surplus for some years if we didn’t import energy. Focusing on our own energy resources will also significantly contribute to our economy.
When I say our own resources, I’m not referring to our own coal reserves. Using the lowest-calorie lignite is not only inefficient, but also, more importantly, coal is a dirty fossil fuel with the highest carbon emissions. In other words, burning such a high amount of coal causes environmental destruction.
I also personally oppose nuclear power for four reasons. First, the nuclear waste problem, second, the waste heat, third, the risk of accidents, and finally, the fact that these facilities, which could be turned into nuclear bombs, will be operated by foreign countries. I don’t want to go into detail here and make this article longer. For more detailed information, you can contact me at serhan.suzer@eko.re.
8- How do you keep up with technology? Will you make any breakthroughs in this area?
As I mentioned before, I’m deeply curious. Because I’m particularly interested in technology, I conduct research on various topics. Renewable energy, digitalization, mobile payments, transportation, nanotechnology, and biotechnology are among my primary areas of interest.
In the future, I’ll be investing in various technologies. One of my life goals is to advance technologies in various fields and contribute to humanity. In the future, when things fall into place (and after all the companies’ leadership and teams are fully established), I plan to focus solely on R&D.
I’ve already begun contributing to this area in terms of business model development. Our support project is the first of its kind among social assistance models worldwide to fully integrate in-kind assistance (the grocery store model) with vocational training. More copies will emerge very soon (and they should. If everyone follows the right model). We’ve already begun presenting our model to international food banks.
9- Why haven’t you gotten married by this age? Is there a problem?
I get asked this question quite often. Frankly, I’m starting to get angry. Let me answer right away. First, this is my personal life. In my country, for some reason, everyone is very curious about each other’s personal lives. In this beautiful country, if everyone minded their own business and didn’t bother with each other, we would progress much faster.
I just want to say this on this matter (and you won’t hear anything else from me from now on): I love kids, believe in the concept of family, and will do my best to be a good father. However, I only want to get married once (many of my friends are currently on their second or even third marriages), and I won’t get married until I find the right person.
10- Where did your interest in Costa Rica stem from? How did you become an honorary consul?
I had no prior interest or connection to Costa Rica. Becoming an honorary consul was a complete coincidence. I can say it was thanks to my father. My Costa Rican adventure began when a high-ranking Costa Rican bureaucrat, whom my father had met while undergoing cancer treatment in Houston, visited us in Istanbul. After meeting him, he began introducing me to his inner circle and network of contacts. Then, a woman I didn’t fully grasp at first, and whom I later learned was the Costa Rican President’s chief advisor, invited me to their country. During a trip to the US, I was curious and decided to visit Costa Rica for a couple of days to see the country. I did, and on my first evening in Costa Rica, I attended an event at the President’s home. That evening, the President said to me, “We need someone to actively represent us in Turkey. Can you do that for us?” “I accept,” I said, “It would be an honor.” Thereupon, President Oscar Arias, an important figure in Latin America and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for having the guerrillas in Central America disarm, sent an official letter to then-President Abdullah Gül regarding my appointment, initiating the process.
Looking back, I’m so glad I became the Honorary Consul of Costa Rica. This wonderful country, which I represent by pure coincidence, perfectly aligns with my mentality. In fact, if I were choosing a country, I would choose Costa Rica again. Everyone here is so committed to the environment and peace. Costa Rica could be called the Switzerland of Latin America. Whenever there’s a problem in neighboring countries, they come to Costa Rica to solve it. Nobel Prize winner Oscar Arias promotes peace at every opportunity. For example, despite being a small country, he holds significant sway at the United Nations. More than half of the country’s land area is covered by tropical forests, and 25% of it is national park. You aren’t allowed to even hammer a nail into it. They even build their hotels in harmony with nature, adhering to the concept of “responsible tourism.”
Here’s a wonderful Costa Rica video for you: Essential Costa Rica!
There’s a lot I could say about Costa Rica and my time as honorary consul. I’ll go into more detail about this topic in my next article. Stay well…
Tag: lifestyle
