The year 2020 began with challenges for Turkey and the whole world. While tackling with the Idlib operation and the Elazig earthquake, the corona virus, which originated in China and caused deaths especially in the developed countries, has passed on to our country and infected more than 100.000 people, and unfortunately caused nearly 2000 fatalities as of today. Coronavirus pandemic should be defined as the ‘disease of the developed’ since it caused more contagion and deaths in developed countries. For example, there are not so many cases and deaths in Africa while, on the other hand, the Western world could not prevent the pandemic and hundreds of thousands of fatalities. Some countries even could not supply a 20-cent mask. The absence of the simplest industry (textile) has left them vulnerable to the deadly epidemic, as developed countries have already left textiles and started producing high-tech products. Thus, interestingly, development did not cure the disease. The developed West and the Far East will never forget these days.
No doubt that Turkey will not forget current days, either. Turkey supplied masks and other apparatus to its citizens free of charge. All health services were free. Less people died due to Covid-19. Besides, it also helped more than 55 countries. If the fragility in the economy is solved, no one should doubt that Turkey will be in the category of the developed countries. I am not saying this by looking at the masks with the same price as a chewing gum. What gives me hope is that our health system is quite strong. In fact, success in health is the second thing that spreads hope. Allow me explain the first one below.
For years we have been complaining why we don’t have world brands. Currently, we do not have any other global brand other than Turkish Airlines in the world. A tire and a home appliances brand are doing well but they have not been global yet. But if we develop more, certainly the number of our brands will increase. Let the firms grow, I noticed that we are already a global brand in two sectors. One is the healthcare system we are talking about. Taking care of every patient, treatment methods that reduce deaths, lots of hospitals and abundance of facilities have shown that we have a very good health system. If the brand means quality and trust, both exist in the Turkish healthcare industry.
This being the fact, Turkish government should better promote the healthcare system after the virus outbreak and open the doors of hospital to foreign patients. New projects should be initiated for the foreign patients coming to Turkey. Because the virus has shown that this country provides advanced services not only in hair transplantation but also in all other branches. I do believe that even if the government fails to promote its healthcare system, there will still be a boom in the number of foreign patients as Turkey has already become a brand in health thanks to the media outlets like CNN and Reuters, which have made enough promotion. They even cleared the CHP’s smear campaigns, conducted hand in hand with the New York Times.
Another brand that Turkey has recently introduced is armed UAVs. This was the second business sector I wanted to point out. The world’s leading media organizations wrote and praised how Turkish armed UAVs hunted Syrian tanks and Russians’ air defense systems called Pantsir in Idlib. Such news is equal to billions of dollar advertisements. There is now a new concept called ‘Turkish drone’. Turkish UAVs have surpassed American and Israeli drones in prominence now. What is more, they are currently attacking warlord Haftar’s militants in Libya to reinforce their reputations. Meanwhile, a joint production and sales agreement worth $240 million for UAVs was signed with Tunisia recently. This is just the beginning and a signal for more sales of Turkish drones in the future.
Also pay attention that these brands are not of private companies but of the state. All of them appeared during difficult times. Maybe many successes that we do not know yet are waiting to come to light. Let’s be hopeful then. Because “For indeed, with hardship [there will be) ease (Inshirah, 6)”.
