Page 39 - World Of Nurol Magazine 30

Can we get to know you? Can you tell us your place of birth and
family?

I was born in May of 1972 in Karakale village of Selim District of Kars.
My family has been dealing with farming for long years at a flat area
near the slope of Allahuekber Mountains located in Sarıkamış where
many of our soldiers were martyred at the Eastern Front in World
War II. I am the fourth children of my family; I have a sister, a brother
and a twin brother. I went to primary school in the village. Roads
kept closing and we used to wait for days for their opening due to
uninterrupted snowfall and blizzards during wintertime. We felt like
our hands and feet were frozen due to cold while walking on those
long roads. Due to these reasons, o schools were often closed down.
Although I was coming from a deep rooted family who was capable of
making a proper living, I realized that I have to get a good education
in order to be successful even then. I was seeing that educated
people like district governors, teachers and doctors were highly
respected and had quite privileged positions in the village. This was
encouraging me. We used to have very different opportunities when
compared with new generation. There was a huge gap between big
cities and villages, then. There was no electricity in the village until
I finish primary school... Studying under these hard conditions as
a child was maybe the most important factor that encouraged me “Challenges do not easily
to get a proper education. Hence, I have decided to go to Erzurum
High School which was one of the known schools of those years and discourage me, on the contrary
that’s how I left my life in the village when I was just a child.
they motive me as I am a goal
Can you please give us some information about Kars?
driver person”
Kars, being the first settlement center when traveling from Caucasus
to Anatolia, is known as an antique settlement for thousands of
years and witnessed many civilizations. Located on Silk Road,
architectural structure of various different historical artifacts are lodgings for a very long time when I was a student. I was deeply
very interesting. About the name of Kars, it is rumored that there impressed with the positions of engineers and the system they had
is no other name in old Turkish in Turkey which is older than Kars. established. Yusuf was also always encouraging me to study in this
Architecture of the city went through a big transition especially during field. My mother was not happy with my ambition and rejecting
the Russian rule that lasted for 40 years. Russians constructed new my decision as she was thinking about accidents when mining was
buildings on wide grid planned streets with that vertically intersects mentioned. Despite her objections, I have decided to become a
each other. Old Russian houses built from big stones which are mining engineer. My Uncle Çetin saw that talent in me and he had
under protection today are magnificent buildings. There are very confidence about me and my decision. Even, he learned the results
interesting heating system named “Peç” in the shape of chimney in of university entrance examinations issued by the Student Selection
the interior design of these homes and they were heating the whole and Placement Center (ÖSYM) and telephoned mukhtar of our
building via pipes mounted inside the walls. Since now, 101 of them village in order to give the good news to my parents, during thattime
are registered and taken under protection. the only telephone in the village was in muhktar’s home. It was a
common ambition of all students studying at the east of Anatolia to
There are many historical churches, mosques, castle walls and continue their education in bigger cities at West. Eventually, I have
bridged in the region and most important of them is the Ani ruins arrived in İzmir on my own in 1991 to make registration in 9 Eylül
located 42 kilometers away from Kars. Early settlement in this University and I started to stay in dorms inside the campus. In the
medieval age town founded inside Turkish border at the west side second term, I moved in with my close friends.
of Arpaçay River that separates Turkey and Armenia order belongs
to Chalcolithic Period in 5.000- 3.000 B.C. Due to its characteristic You were only 19 years old. After a childhood in a small village of
of being the first accommodation center at the Anatolian entrance Kars, you moved to Erzurum for 6-7 years and then to İzmir. Was it
of Silk Road, it was also an important trade center. The province is a hard for you to fit in various different regions within such a short
rich cultural heritage due to Ani Ruins, remains of Urartu, Armenian, period of time?
Byzantine and Seljuk works, interesting natural structure and well
reserved historical artifacts. It was registered in the list of World Of course, there were some challenges. As I have mentioned before,
Heritage in 2016 by UNESCO. Kars and its environs are paradise for I can say that Challenges do not easily discourage me; on the
bird watchers due to variety of bird species. Dust crystal snow which contrary they motive me as I am a goal driver person. I was not a very
can only be seen in the world in Alps is available only in Sarıkamış bright student with super grades but I was very good in establishing
in our country. communication. Even at that very young age, I realized that I had
the spirit of an entrepreneur. My dialogue with professors was pretty
It seems that your education life before university did not continue good. I did not consider grades as success criteria. I was trying to
in your village. How you’re your journey to Erzurum begin? understand the essence of business and I was showing greater
interest to projects rather than grades. My relations with professors
Çetin Bozkurt uncle, late father of Cumhur were providing me the opportunity to guess what they could ask at
Bozkurt member of Nurol Holding Executive Board). He was exams. Even my friends were all looking forward to hear my guesses
person who encouraged us to get good education and did everything during exam periods.
in his power to help us about education. At the time, he was working
as an attorney in Erzurum. First, they went their home. My cousin Was Mining engineering a separate branch at the university or were
Cumhur who at the time was a student at the university took me you choosing your branch after graduation?
to the school for application. This was how I start my boarding
school education in Erzurum. I was only 12 years old, I was worried Basically, we can classify mining engineering under two main groups.
about how to live so far away from home and my family. I remember First is mining and second is mineral processing and ore dressing.
how sad I was and how I secretly cried during my first night at the In the past, when we mention about mining, people were naturally
boarding school. However, I can say that these experiences about thinking about coal mines in Turkey. But, at those times porcelain
how to survive alone at that young age helped to overcome any industry and ceramic was very popular and I prepared my graduation
hardships that I came across later. thesis on industrial raw-materials. On the other hand, metal was
another interest for me. I completed my term university internship
Yusuf Brother who was another relative of my family living in in Elazığ Ferro Chrome Facilities. I was not aware then but after I
Erzurum was working as a driver at Coal Enterprises. I stayed at their joined Nurol I found out that those facilities were founded by Nurol. 39

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