IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HAS OPENED WITH A GREAT CEREMONY
In his opening speech, Izmir University of Economics Rector Prof. Dr. Attila Sezgin mentioned about the constitution and said, “The constitution has to have the quality of a public agreement that carries the ideas and views of primarily the universities and the associations and institutions that form the basic democratic concepts of Turkey. I want to point out that Grand National Assembly of Turkey does not have the right to make changes on the irreversible decisions of the constitution about republic, secularism, Ataturk’s nationalism, unitary, and democratic and social state ruled by law which is based on human rights.”
IUE Board of Trustees President Ekrem Demirtaş pointed out that Turkey needed well-educated brainpower and that they could not open departments of agricultural technology and nutrition sciences and culinary arts and management because the physical state of the university was insufficient. Demirtaş said, “We could not make applications for the departments we planned to open. However, Izmir and our country need well-educated brainpower. Our country educates 50 thousand students abroad by paying nearly 1.5 billion dollars.” Demirtaş said that their aim was 10 thousand students in the 10th year.
After the opening speeches, 9th President of Republic Süleyman Demirel gave the first lesson of 2007-2008 Academic Year. Demirel underlined the fact that the world’s most serious problem is the climate changes and energy shortage that result from global warming; he said, “The world struggles with global warming, climate changes, sustainable development, energy, and water and nutrition problems. It is necessary to tend to alternative energy sources. There are 411 nuclear plants in the world. The world is preparing to form another 100 plants. However, they renew these in a way that they would not pollute the world. Turkey lost 25 years over arguing whether we should make a nuclear plant or not. On the other hand, bio energy, wind and water sources should be used efficiently. Turkey is not in poverty in terms of water. We need to use the water in the dams.”
After the lesson Demirel answered the questions about the changes in the constitution, “The constitutions cannot be different from each other; you cannot remove the former texts even though you make the new one. There are basic rights and freedoms, there is the formation and operation of the nation, I do not know what they will bring, I can only say if there is a need to bring them after I see what they are. The arguments about a coup are needless. We will look for the solution in democracy.”
The most colorful moments of the opening, ceremony was the show of the Izmir University of Economics students. The special shows of folk dances, modern dance and Latin dance clubs entertained the audience. At the end of the ceremony, a student from the Caucasian dance team gave a Caucasian kalpak to 9th President of Republic Süleyman Demirel. Demirel sang 10th Year anthem with the students by wearing the kalpak.
