- GULER SABANCI: “IT IS AN HONOR FOR ME TO BE HERE AND ACCEPT THIS DECORATION”
Guler Sabancı, Chairman of Sabancı Holding, the most valuable of conglomerate of Turkey, has been awarded with the decoration of honor of Commander in the order of Leopold II. Sabancı has received the decoration for the contributions she has made to economical cooperation between Turkey and Belgium and as BEKSA joint-venture with Belgian Bekaert has completed its 20th year.
Armand De Decker, President of the Senate of Belgium, who presented the decoration to Guler Sabancı, has stated in his speech that “In addition to receive the leadership of an economic giant, whose main mission is ‘‘creating sustainable advantage through differentiation’’, you’ve been appointed in the very same moment , as the flagship of the modern women of your country. One of the names you gave to that flagship is the Sabancı University.
You are one of those women, whose determination is maintaining the hope and the faith for a more human and liberal world. I would like to wish you still a lot of successes and I hope that your recent declaration in “II Corriere de la Sera” becomes reality, namely, that “the Turkish women will lead the development of the country and guarantee the civil rights” to which you’ve added “within five years, the Turkish democracy will be stronger and we would have become the China of Europe”.
Baron Paul Buysee, Chairman of Bekaert, has underlined at the ceremony that “Guler Sabancı is a woman of vast accomplishments and wide and varied interests. Her tremendous energy guarantees that her list of achievements will continue to grow ever longer. Today Sabancı’s holdings have increased to 70 companies. It is the second largest holding company in Turkey employing over 50.000 people in dozen countries. And if Sabancı has her way, it won’t stop there. Her goal, she insists, is to triple the group’s revenue by 2015”.
Also Guler Sabancı stated “I would like to thank the Kingdom of Belgium and her government for bestowing the decoration of honor of Commander in Order of Leopold II upon me” in her speech.
Guler Sabancı expressed her feelings about the decoration to Anatolian Agency during the ceremony. She made the following declaration “it is an honor for me to be here and accept this decoration”.
In 1987, Sakip Sabancı, former Chairman of Sabancı Holding, has also received the decoration of honor of Commander in Order of Leopold II for his contributions to Turkey-Belgium economical relations. His Majesty King Albert II has presented the decoration to Sakip Sabancı at the ceremony held in Istanbul.