Turkish women producing sensitive material for CERN

During daily Hürriyet’s visit to the Central Anatolian city of Kayseri, one woman caught the attention of journalists.

Zuhal Gözüküçük, a woman entrepreneur from Kayseri, is one of the four suppliers in Turkey for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

CERN’s mission is to uncover the universe’s secrets. It is the world’s largest scientific organization where the basic constituents of matter and fundamental particles are studied.

I was very impressed by the center when I visited it in 2014. Two phrases at its entrance: “Where do we come from, where do we go,” written in many several languages, defines precisely the center’s mission.

Turkey became an associate member of CERN in 2015, providing an opportunity to Turkish scientists to become full-time researchers at the center, while opening a window to our industry.

Zuhal Gözüküçük, the chair of Gözüküçük Mechanics, was one to make use of the opportunity.

Gözüküçük joined a tender of CERN after the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) informed its members about it.

She is currently producing sensitive material being used in CERN’s researches.

Back to school for her new profession

Gözüküçük is actually an agricultural engineer and has worked many years both in the public and private sectors.

Following the death of her husband, when her older son was in university and her younger son was in high school, she became the chair of Gözüküçük Mechanics.

“In order to do it right I studied at the Erciyes Mechanical Vocational High School,” she said.

It made her well-prepared when the first instruction came from CERN.

In fact, when she was able to deliver the orders in time without any trouble, she ended up having a contract until 2023.

She underlined that CERN is an invaluable place for Europe, adding that the company registered 20 percent growth last year.

Entering the European market

“We are targeting to grow with solid steps,” said Gözüküçük.

She stands as an exemplary female figure for Kayseri’s women entrepreneurs.

Her biggest supporters are her two sons, both who are studying at prestigious technical universities in Turkey.

She is also the executive director of the female entrepreneurs of TOBB. And despite her busy schedule, she does not give up on her hobbies, like painting.

A meaningful campaign to promote Turkish cuisine

I really like Metro’s advertisements on TVs, newspapers and bus stops.

“ITurkishCuisine” writes beneath the pictures of bluefishes, known widely as the “Sultan of the Bosphorus,” or the fresh vegetables grown on our fertile lands in the advertisements.

Metro seems to have taken the ownership of Turkish cuisine, which should open to the world.

“We built our strategy on scientific work and input from researches,” said Kubilay Özerkan, the ‎managing director of Metro Cash & Carry Turkey. He spoke about campaigns they have been endorsing for fish species and the initiatives they have taken to have geographical indications for at least 80 indigenous products like the Finike oranges and Aydın figs.

Özerkan said our chefs aim to open a Turkish restaurant in Paris, the mecca of the culinary world.