"Adding Value to Türkiye" Award Presented to Mehmet Büyükekşi

This year, Bahçeşehir University's annual "Adding Value to Türkiye" Award went to Mehmet Büyükekşi, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM). Speaking at the ceremony, Büyükekşi said: "I have received many awards, but this award is very different for me. In our work, we always emphasize youth and innovation."

Organized by BAU for the 6th time this year, the award, given to people who shape education and development and contribute to the national economy, artistic heritage, promotion and recognition, has in past years been presented to names such as former Turkcell CEO Süreyya Ciliv, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art Chair of the Board Oya Eczacıbaşı, renowned heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Öz, businessman Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of the yogurt company Chobani, and most recently DenizBank General Manager Hakan Ateş. This year the award was presented to TİM Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi at a ceremony held at Bahçeşehir University Beşiktaş South Campus for his contributions to the growth of the Turkish economy, exports and promotion.

"BÜYÜKEKŞİ IS AMONG THOSE WHO BEST KNOW THE VALUE OF INNOVATION"

Giving the opening speech of the award ceremony, Bahçeşehir University (BAU) President Prof. Dr. Şenay Yalçın said: "As Bahçeşehir University, we are grateful to our people who add value to a developing Türkiye and to humanity. Working day and night to increase our country's exports and achieving successful results by pioneering many innovations, Mr. Büyükekşi is among those who best know the value of innovation. Describing the TİM chairmanship not as an office for saying the biggest and most important words but for producing the most feasible solutions, he fulfills his duties as Chairman with internationally recognized success. The path drawn by Mr. Büyükekşi aligns exactly with what we have made it our principle to instill in our students: diligence, determination, the drive to set high goals and move towards them, work ethics, entrepreneurial spirit, international communication skills and, most importantly, moral values."

"I HAVE RECEIVED MANY AWARDS, BUT THIS AWARD IS VERY DIFFERENT FOR ME"

Receiving the award, TİM Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi expressed his feelings in his speech as follows:

"Looking at the past, I learned that many important names have been deemed worthy of this award. Today I have been fortunate to receive the sixth. I thank the Bahçeşehir University award committee and its students very much. I have been serving as Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly for about 10 years. I have received many awards, but this award is very different for me. In our work, we always emphasize youth and innovation. When I graduated from university at the age of 23, I immediately founded my own company. My advice to young people is to follow their dreams with an entrepreneurial spirit. As the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said, societies that want to live comfortably without working, without tiring and without producing are doomed to lose first their dignity, then their freedom, and then their independence and future. Therefore, I wish all of you to work hard and bring our country to the place it deserves."

In addition to Bahçeşehir University academics and students, the ceremony was attended by names from the business world such as Ali Sabancı, Chairman of the Board of Pegasus Airlines and Board Member of Esas Holding, and Zerrin Abaz, Consul General of Macedonia in Istanbul.