The most creative city on the Black Sea

Istanbul will be hosting two events on design.

One of the events is Design Week Turkey, which will take place for the first time between Oct. 19 and Oct. 23 under the direction of the Economy Ministry and Turkish Exporters' Assembly. 

The second one is the Istanbul Design Biennial organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) for the third time, which is planned to take place between Oct. 22 and Nov. 20.

"Design influences the quality of our life," said Bülent Eczacıbaşı, chairman of the Eczacıbaşı Holding and the Board of Directors of IKSV. 

"Design adds the most value to industry and the economy," he said. "Design and innovation will take Turkey out of the middle income trap," he added.

Eczacıbaşı is one of the Turkish companies that best recognizes the added value of design.

The company's Building Products Group has been emerging in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, mostly because of its success in design-based products.  Seventy percent of the group's income comes from abroad.

In a recent conversation with Bülent Eczacıbaşı, he once again emphasized the fact that there is insufficient support for art and culture and thus, design in Turkey.

While I heard in the statement by Finance Minister Naci Ağbal on the 2017 budget, that $5.8 billion dollar has been earmarked for research and development, I have not heard that amount being earmarked for art and culture.

While the public sector is not that enthusiastic about art, culture and design, you may still come across pleasant surprises in the country's different regions. 

Take Sinop, on the Black Sea.

It is known for being on the agenda as the location for the second nuclear power plant. Yet it...