LET’S OPEN A WHITE PAGE TOGETHER, LET’S MAKE ÜRGÜP’S STAR SHINE WITH ITS WORLD VISION.

  1. A- OUR PROJECTS THAT WILL INCREASE OUR WELFARE BY REVIVALTING TOURISM:

1. We will develop Ürgüp’s CITY CENTER with 4 major projects that we will implement as a whole. Thus, Ürgüp residents and visitors will have more places to visit and spend time, and visitors will have more reasons to come to Ürgüp.

CITY CENTER PROJECT 1- We will open Ürgüp’s “trademark” Nostalgic Tram Line, between Cumuriyet Square and Evka Junction, which we will organize in accordance with the natural and cultural structure of Ürgüp. We will close the area between the Clock Tower and the Municipality Junction to vehicle traffic and direct traffic through alternative routes.

CITY CENTER PROJECT 2- We will revitalize the area around Damsa Stream, which will have a stop on the tram line, with walking areas, small and local stylized shops, cafes and branded businesses.

CITY CENTER PROJECT 3- We will put into service the Old Grand Hotel, with its large parking capacity and stylish shops, in cooperation with a prestigious hotel operator.

CITY CENTER PROJECT 4- We will establish a Touristic Food Market where our local delicacies will be presented to Ürgüp residents and visitors with different experiences with its architectural structure.

2. We will open walking routes that connect to Temenni, Dedeli, Esbelli and Çimenli viewing hills and reflect the old Ürgüp texture. We will illuminate the roads on the route with solar energy, adorn them with local shops and cafes, use digital technologies to tell the known history of the old houses and turn the viewing hills into centers of attraction.

3. We will transform our current terminal area into a tourism area with restaurants, cafes and shops.

4. We will increase our income by including our natural and historical heritage sites such as Sivritaş, Underground Roads and Altıkapılı among the visiting points. We will aim to enrich our Library and attract more visits.

5. We will extend Ürgüp’s tourism season with various activities such as cultural events, concerts and sports events throughout the year.

B- OUR PROJECTS THAT WILL SOLVE THE BASIC PROBLEMS OF ÜRGÜP

1. We will move our existing terminal to the city surroundings and turn it into a modern bus terminal.
2. We will move the Wastewater Facility to its new location in the upper-scale plan.
3. We will move our market to a larger area and build a large capacity car park underneath.
4. By illuminating our avenues and streets, we will make them safe and enjoyable to travel.
5. We will cooperate with Universities to remove the area within the Disaster Area and move it to a position that will create value for Ürgüp.
6. We will implement the zoning works of the subdivision defined as the 46th and 47th Regions with minimal dissatisfaction.
7. We will establish a modern rehabilitation center together with our animal lovers for our dear friends living on the streets. While we will prevent their proliferation, we will also ensure that our existing friends are fed and safe.
8. We will work to develop common solutions with other towns of Cappadocia to implement modern garbage collection and accumulation practices.
9. We will renew the water pipes of our Aksalur District.
10. We will expand Ürgüp Cemetery.

C. OUR PROJECTS TO SUPPORT OUR INDUSTRY, TRADE AND AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
1. We will move our Industrial Zone to our industrial area, which we will build with the priority of our existing shop owners and tenant industrialists becoming shop owners, and we will turn our existing industrial area into an accommodation and entertainment zone.
2. We will register our pumpkin seeds and raisins as Ürgüp Brand.
3. We will increase the income of our tradesmen by attracting more tourists to Ürgüp with our tourism investments, allowing visitors to spend more time, and with our tradesman-friendly approach.
4. We will cooperate with the Provincial and District Directorates of Agriculture to make target product planning to increase the cultivated areas. We will provide guidance, seedling and fertilizer support to our farmers.
5. We will support the establishment of Producer Associations so that our agricultural products can be marketed effectively.
6. We will develop a project to activate our idle must factory in Aksalur.

D. OUR PROJECTS FOR A MORE BEAUTIFUL AND LIVABLE ÜRGÜP
1. We will establish a city club, have fun together, celebrate our holidays and national days, do art, music and sports, and open courses to improve our competencies.
2. We will implement support and development practices for our special children, the elderly and the disabled.
3. We will cooperate with our universities to provide dormitories for more students, and we will try to attract at least one brand institution in the field of primary and secondary education to Ürgüp.
4. As Ürgüp residents, we will establish physical and digital platforms to share our idle resources such as clothing, toys, baby items and books with those in need and to bring together job seekers and business owners.
5. We will develop common solutions with our Mukhtars to the problems of all our neighborhoods, near and far.
6. We will work with our Village Headmen to solve the natural gas problem of our villages, especially Başdere and Ulaşlı.

D. OUR PROJECTS FOR A MORE BEAUTIFUL AND LIVABLE ÜRGÜP
1. We will establish a city club, have fun together, celebrate our holidays and national days, do art, music and sports, and open courses to improve our competencies.
2. We will implement support and development practices for our special children, the elderly and the disabled.
3. We will cooperate with our universities to provide dormitories for more students, and we will try to attract at least one brand institution in the field of primary and secondary education to Ürgüp.
4. As Ürgüp residents, we will establish physical and digital platforms to share our idle resources such as clothing, toys, baby items and books with those in need and to bring together job seekers and business owners.
5. We will develop common solutions with our Mukhtars to the problems of all our neighborhoods, near and far.
6. We will work with our Village Headmen to solve the natural gas problem of our villages, especially Başdere and Ulaşlı.
7. We will ensure that Ürgüp becomes a center of reverse migration and that our young people find their future in Ürgüp.

Digital Insurance in Turkiye

I have been following the rapid developments in Digital Banking both in the World and in Turkey.

According to a news I read, the number of companies applying for a Digital Banking license in Turkey in the first months of 2023 reached 35.

What is Digital Banking? What kind of legislation does it have?

In the Regulation on the Operating Principles of Digital Banks and Service Model Banking published in the Official Gazette No. 31704 dated December 29, 2021;

“Digital bank: Credit institution that provides banking services through electronic banking services distribution channels instead of physical branches,”

It is defined as .

Digital Banks provide their services to their users over the internet, without having a physical branch. Okumaya devam et “Digital Insurance in Turkiye”

Turkish Insurance Sector on the 100th Anniversary of the the Republic of Türkiye -5

Main Challenges and Opportunities

The year 2023 started with challenges for the insurance industry. The following are some highlights:

  1. The premiums rising due to high inflation and technical losses in the motor branch taken over from the previous years caused some customers with a low loss ratio to exit the insurance system.
  2. It is estimated that a sectoral loss of approximately 5 billion USD total cost of insurance and reinsurance companies) occurred in the SouthEast region of Turkey on 06 February 2023 due to the devastating earthquake damage that affected 11 cities, excluding the losses in the motor branch. (Aon, 2023)
  3. Due to the high MTPL loss/premium ratios, insurance companies are reluctant to issue policies despite many new regulations of the regulatory and supervisory authority (SEDDK), and there is no insurance company keen to issue TPML policies, which is a compulsory product.
  4. In addition, the earthquake that occurred on February 06, 2023 increased the concerns for the insurance sector players (specially reinsurers) about the consequences of the upcoming great Marmara Earthquake.
  5. There will be a shrinkage in both life and non-life premium production in the bancassurance channel due to bank loans falling and coming to a halt due to rising interest rates and contraction-oriented inflation reduction policies.

Okumaya devam et “Turkish Insurance Sector on the 100th Anniversary of the the Republic of Türkiye -5”

Turkish Insurance Sector on the 100th Anniversary of the the Republic of Türkiye -4

Lines of Business Distribution

Lines of Business distribution for the last three years is given in Table 1.5. Sickness/health, motor own damage, motor liability, general damages and fire and natural disasters have shared since the last three years.  43% of  total non-life insurance premiums motor business, total of motor own damage and motor liability.

Table 1.5 Turkish Insurance Industry – Gross Premium Production per LoB Okumaya devam et “Turkish Insurance Sector on the 100th Anniversary of the the Republic of Türkiye -4”

Turkish Insurance Sector on the 100th Anniversary of the the Republic of Türkiye -1

 

Turkish Insurance Industry Overview

Insurance sector, which has existed in our country since the end of the 19th century, is crucial for the economy and stable growth, with its economic value more than forty times the Gross National Product itself.

Insurance in Türkiye was initiated in 1872 by the representative offices of British insurance companies. After the British insurers, the French insurers also showed interest in Türkiye and in 1878 the first French company launched its operations. Further, insurance activities expanded with the entrance of insurance companies of foreign countries such as German, Italian and Swiss to the market. Although these companies provided required quaranties to the insured, they were operating completely unsupervised at that time due to the absence of laws envisaging the establishment of insurance companies and regulating insurance activities, or even a provision addressing this issue.

In 1893, the first domestic insurance company was established with the title of Ottoman Public Insurance Company. With the changes made in the laws in 1908 and 1914, foreign companies were tried to be controlled. With the law of 1914, foreign companies were required to provide collateral and pay taxes. Okumaya devam et “Turkish Insurance Sector on the 100th Anniversary of the the Republic of Türkiye -1”

Which Insurance Company was Acquired, at What Price in Turkey?

There is a new excitement in the insurance sector with the acquisition of Yapı Kredi Sigorta A.Ş. by Allianz Sigorta A.Ş.

On the one hand, the discussions on Should one invest in this sector? Is it too late to invest? have surfaced again, while on the other hand, we have frequently started to hear rumours about insurance companies who are planning to sell / have started working on selling their operatiıons in Turkey.

So, I wanted to list the figures on insurance company acquisitions which are concentrated around the period 2006/2007.

Şİrket çarpan

 

Notes:

  • Life and pension company acquisitions are not included.
  • EURO (EUR) as a currency has been taken into account as at annual average TL conversion rate in which the acquisition took place.
  • I have obtained the figures from several sources; if there is some information that I am not aware of and/or a different figure, I can make the correction when you share the related document/information.
  • The figures in the study are composed of the “initial acquisition prices” of the companies, and do not take into account additional share acquisitions which took place in some cases.
  • In the case of some insurance company acquisition values, their bank distribution agreements have also been effective. The durations and figures in these cases differ from each other.
  • I wıould like to thank Ali Demir for his contribution on this study.

“Bourne Theory” Stars Should Not Wear Iwc Pilot Top-Gun, Because It Is Broken

After I posted my article  “Do Not Buy Iwc Pilot Top-Gun Because It is Broken” in my personal blog, one of my readers gave me the name of an authorized person from Schaffhausen and we have started a discussion about my complaint on my broken Top-Gun seramique watch. I’d like to thank  him as he shows extra effort to solve my problem. But I think he will not be able to solve it.

In order to understand that it is not my fault but it is Iwc’s product’s defect he recommended me to give my broken watch again  to their service. This will be the second time that I will send it to service. First investigation had taken nearly two months and their comment about my broken watch was that “ the damage was due to an impact which is not covered by warranty.”

I am a white color, office worker, an insurance proffessional and I have more than10 watches and I use them in a circulation. Only Iwc Pilot Top-Gun with seramique parts was broken without any spesific incident.

One of my favorite movie series is Bourne Theory. And when I started to watch last Bourne movie which is “Bourne Legacy”, I saw a scene that schocked me. Last Bourne star was wearing  Iwc Pilot Top-Gun when he was on wild nature.

I learnt in my experience that Iwc Pilot Top-Gun can be broken even at office. How it may show resistance to mountains and hard natural environment?

Doesn’t it decrease the reality of the Bourne stars roles at the movie?

I’m Sorry

An old colleague reproached me the other day: We could not and will not be able to find the same working environment that we had together. We realized that, that was an exception, the working life is not like that in general, and we could not be happy after that company any longer, she said.

So, I decided to list the issues that I am sorry about and to apologize from my ex-colleagues for setting these as the company culture.

I’m sorry because:

-We managed the company through a committee that we established,

-I enabled information flow from top to bottom in such a way that there was no room for gossiping,

-I gathered all employees together and informed them even in hard times, including acquisition period,

-I sent e-mails to all employees once a month, as company CEO, informing them about the company’s financial standing and performance,

-We arranged feedback meetings with managers on a quarterly basis about what we did right or wrong,

-We never left any subject vague,

-We arranged “vision” meetings once a year where we provided information to all employees about what we did, what were the mistakes, what we plan to do the following year, etc. and then had a party where everybody had fun until the next morning,

-We arranged a reward ceremony once a month for employees who made positive contribution to the company,

-We distributed the performance targets to all employees and evaluated them based on the same criteria,

-I did not locate the CEO’s room on a separate floor, and never kept it close,

– I made motivation tour on floors and patted my colleagues on their backs everyday,

-We made it the company culture to interfere in whatever is not right and fight with it until it is corrected

-I had conversations with each and every employee on life,

-I showed to people that sometimes you should just leave, because nothing is more important than “working happy”,

-We encouraged conflicts to achieve best business results, and never allowed any other conflict,

– I never hesitated to put my signature under any decision,

-We always encouraged innovation with excitement and faith,

-I encouraged people to take responsibility at work, and once something is done, I always stood by them until the end,

-We tried to make office life attractive for the employees where they spend a majority of their daily life,

– We brought musicians to play on the floors on the Women’s Day,

-We transformed the working place into a place of sympathy and respect,

-I always gave the message “to stand together” to my colleagues,

-And for many things else that I can not remember now,

I’m sorry.

You get used to these things very quickly and start believing that every place and every time it is the same, but you can not easily find these things at other places and times.

The Bank that says “I’m in Digital Insurance too!”

We are observing with excitement the entry of one digital distribution channel after another into the world of digital insurance in the recent days.

Direct insurance companies, brokers, agencies, insurance portals. And now, a Bank has carried its insurance activities to the digital space.

Aktif Bank has launched a web site called sigortayeri.com 

Aktif Bank is a bank that makes successful use of alternative distribution channels in banking. Instead of increasing the number of its physical branches, they create successful applications of alternative distribution channel solutions.

They have now added “alternative insurance” to their differentiated approaches.

In the website;

      • The products are offered under the headings MTPL, Motor Own Damage, TCPI, Home, Personal Accident, Emergency Health, and Special Products for You.
      • The Customer Value Offer is very clear:

                                         -Best price,
                                        -Anytime, anywhere,
                                        -7/24 Customer Support,
                                        -Claim Support Service,

      • They work with 9 insurance companies.
      • As far as I could see, it was designed as an online web service only – they aim to provide service also through Post Offices and through different locations with the help of the Business Partnership Program.
      • The website is designed as a bright, easy to understand and one that requires little information exchange.

On the other hand;

    • The presentation stile that is favored by the digital world, such as animation or a sympathetic character that carries “humor”, was not used. It looks a little distant from the “in“s of the digital world at first glance.
    • It is a curious matter how they will bring together the current insurance legislation and the “Business Partnership” program. I hope they will be successful in this respect and contribute to the expansion of the insurance pie to the base.
    • “Neova Sigorta”, which is used as an example under the heading “How Do I Get Insured”, is not one of the insurance companies that is listed on the main page.
    • However, I believe they will be making many improvements in time as the site is brand new at the moment.

I wish all the success to Aktif Bank and the sigortayeri.com team who have opened a new page in insurance.

I may not have an objective view in this, but, I believe that www.sigortadukkanim.com is still number one among the alternatives in terms of reflecting the colours of the retail world and customer point of view into its processes.

Let’s see what innovations will come up in the digital world in the coming days.

It’s About Time – Insurance Direct

Before 2012 is over, and less than a year after my blog post titles “Is Insurance Direct Coming to Turkey?”, I found out that Aviva Sigorta made a silent entry into the direct market through its web site “Artiksirasende“.

  • The site is beautiful in terms of colour and design. The transactions are easily explained through animation, the widespread marketing tool of the internet world.
  • The expectations of internet users regarding “being rewarded however small” is being fulfilled.
  • They are trying to market motor own damage and MTPL policies together and those who buy motor own damage policy online will get a 5% discount if they also buy the MTPL policy online.

It’s brand new and there are areas still to be further developed.

Example: The system is still not a fast-flow process for the end-user. I believe that developments are needed especially in the proposal page by close monitoring of user experience.

My favourite feature: The freedom of the user to design the motor own damage policy according to his/her needs

What I wonder; whether the motor own damage policy content and price is different from that of what the agency sells.

However, in any case, I congratulate and wish all the luck to the management of Aviva Sigorta who have shown the courage of bringing Direct to Turkey in a real sense.

One company was going to lead the bringing of Insurance Direct to Turkey. I think that the other players will be faster and braver to head towards the direct market from now on.

It is best to investigate “how to become a part of this new world” for all the players – not trying in vain to stop the process.