The grand opening of Quick Sigorta Gülseren-Hüseyin Doğan Elementary School
The official opening of Gülseren - Hüseyin Doğan Elementary School with 32 classrooms, the foundation of which was laid by Quick Sigorta in December 2019, took place with a high turnout on 24 November Teachers' Day.
At the opening, particularly Alanya District Governor Dr. Fatih Ürkmezer, Alanya Vice Mayor Mr. Ali Yenialp, Alanya District National Education Director Mr. Yusuf Yılmaz, Alanya District Deputy Mayor Ms. Merve Baysal, Merinos Carpet Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Ali Erdemoğlu and Chairman of the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency Mr. Mehmet Akif Eroğlu, in addition to many official guests, Quick Sigorta agencies and members of the press took part.
Gülseren - Hüseyin Doğan Elementary School, designed to meet all the needs of a modern education, started its activities for the 2022-2023 academic year, bringing 380 students and 13 teachers, two of whom are administrators, into education life. The official opening of the school took place on the 24 November Teachers' Day, with the event held in the school building, attended by nearly 500 agencies, press members and official guests from 81 provinces. The event, which started with a minute of silence and singing of the National Anthem, was hosted by Ms. Nalan Türkel, who is herself a teacher. While making a presentation, Ms. Türkel reminded that the foundation of the school was laid together with the agencies, and therefore, the names of all the agencies were placed on the school wall and also included in the time capsule placed in school’s foundation.
Making the first speech at the opening, Alanya District National Education Director Mr. Yusuf Yılmaz started his speech by giving information about Alanya District. Mr. Yılmaz stated that Alanya District is larger than 26 provinces, and that, in addition to the six new schools that are being built by philanthropists, 106 schools have been previously built by philanthropists in the district so far, and therefore that the district is known as the capital of philanthropists. Mr. Yılmaz continued his words as follows: “Our philanthropists have undertaken a very important task generally fulfilled by our state. Maher Holding Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Mahmut Erdemoğlu, who had a school built in our district through Quick Sigorta, also joined our caravan of philanthropists. On behalf of all our students and our people of Alanya, I would like to thank Quick Sigorta family and everyone who contributed to the construction of the school.”
Alanya Vice Mayor Mr. Ali Yenialp, who took the floor after Alanya District National Education Director Mr. Yusuf Yılmaz, expressed his satisfaction that Mahmutlar Village was preferred as the place to build the school as it was in need of educational support, and made a speech drawing attention to the importance of education: “I am happy to be with you at the opening of our school, which will be the guarantee of our future and an education home for our children. Today is an important day for our country as well. I would like to remind you of a saying of the esteemed Architect Turgut Cansever, which goes ‘If you neglect to revive the generation while reconstructing the city, the generation you neglect will destroy the city you have built.’ Of course, our schools are necessary to revive the generation, but our teachers, who are the architects of our distinguished schools, are also important. On this occasion, I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate the 24 November Teacher's Day, and thank the entire Maher Holding family for their valuable support. I wish our school to be beneficial to our district and our country.”
“I wish our school to be beneficial to our Alanya, our country and the humanity of the world”
Maher Holding Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Mahmut Erdemoğlu, who started his speech by talking about the importance given to education, one of the life principles that can be considered as the legacy of his deceased father, Mehmet Erdemoğlu, continued his words as follows: “We, too, strive to maintain his love of leaving permanent works for our country, which he initiated while he was alive. First of all, I respectfully commemorate our late father, Mehmet Erdemoğlu, for instilling these principles in us.” Mr. Erdemoğlu continued his speech by thanking Alanya Mayor Mr. Adem Yücel specifically for selecting the location to build the school and for his contributions in general, the Ministry of National Education teams, more than 4,000 Quick Sigorta agencies and everyone who contributed to the construction of the school, and has further said about the school: “I hope that the young people who will study in this school be raised as hardworking, patriotic, honest and honorable individuals who will strive to reach the level of contemporary civilizations indicated by the founder of the Republic of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. On the occasion that today is the Teacher's Day, I would like to congratulate my wife, Mrs. Mine Erdemoğlu, who is also a teacher, and all our teachers. I wish our school to be beneficial for our Alanya, our country and the humanity of the world.”
“It became an International school with students from 26 countries”
After his speech, Mr. Erdemoğlu handed over the microphone to Mr. Mehmet Akif Eroğlu, the President of the Insurance and Private Pension Regulation and Supervision Agency. Pointing out that the Quick Sigorta family has achieved a difficult task, Mr. Eroğlu stated that such social responsibility projects also play an important role in introducing the insurance industry to the public and continued his speech as follows: “We would like to introduce, and explain the importance of, the insurance industry. Of course, it is easier to achieve this together with our stakeholders. On the other hand, such meaningful projects are instrumental in reaching both the economy press, politicians and our people. I wish these practices and valuable moves to set an example for other companies in the industry. Today is also an important day. As a teacher's child, I am very happy to be here on such a day. All schools are valuable, but this school has an additional feature that it has reached an international character just as much as the district itself by bringing together students from 26 countries under the same roof. I would like to thank the entire Quick Sigorta family for this meaningful investment.”
Alanya District Governor Dr. Fatih Ürkmezer, who came to the podium to make the final speech, underlined that Alanya is now a world-renowned district and said that the district has an important place also in education with its two universities. He stated that it was important for Quick Sigorta to choose Mahmutlar Village as the location to build the school, as it is the region with the highest number of foreigners, and added: “Students from 160 different countries study in the district, and from 26 different countries in Mahmutlar Village. This situation will continue to improve with the investments made by philanthropists in education. I would like to thank our benevolent family for choosing such a meaningful day for the opening.”
Also at the ceremony were TOBB (The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye) SAIK (Insurance Agencies Executive Committee) President Mr. Levent Korkut, TOBB SEIK (Insurance Experts Executive Committee) Deputy Chairman and TOBB Insurance Manager Mr. Mevlüt Söylemez, Insurance Practitioners Association President Mr. Fahri Altıngöz, TÜSAF (Turkish Insurance Agencies Federation) President Mr. Adnan Çelik, TÜGAP (Entrepreneur Insurance Agencies of Türkiye) President Mr. Abdulcelil Alkış, International Insurance Fair managers, representatives of Antalya Insurance Agencies Association, representatives of political parties and representatives of journalists associations.
The ceremony ended with a plaque ceremony and a school tour
At the opening held with the theme of "As we promised", Mr. Mahmut Erdemoğlu was presented with a plaque on behalf of Quick Sigorta, a company that fulfilled its promise to its agencies, and Maher Holding by Alanya District Governor Dr. Fatih Ürkmezer. Subsequently, after the prayer of Alanya Mufti Mr. İhsan İlhan, the official opening of the school was celebrated with applause and with the ribbon cutting.
Alanya District Governor Dr. Fatih Ürkmezer, Alanya Vice Mayor Mr. Ali Yenialp, Alanya District National Education Director Mr. Yusuf Yılmaz, Maher Holding Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Mahmut Erdemoğlu, Maher Holding Insurance Group President Mr. Ahmet Yaşar and Maher Investment Holding CEO Mr. Levent Uluçeçen visited the classrooms, and the library built for the school, celebrated the Teachers' Day of teachers, and chatted. Mahmut Erdemoğlu's wife, Mrs. Mine Erdemoğlu, also gave gifts consisting of books to the library. The ceremony ended with the folk dance performance of the little pupils.
“Mine Erdemoğlu: “Education given in the early years is very important”
Mrs. Mine Erdemoğlu, Maher Holding Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors and the founder of ME-NOVA, the education development center, expressed her pleasure to be at the opening of Gülseren - Hüseyin Doğan Elementary School as a person who has devoted her heart to education, with the following words: “I see education as the key to success. As we are in an able position financially, we wanted to crown the bond of love that came from being a teacher with an investment. At a time when there is a shortage of teachers, we aimed to benefit both our teachers and students, and we made this investment on behalf of Quick Sigorta. Based on the awareness that the education given in the early years is very important, we built this place as an elementary school which also includes a kindergarten. I hope that the first seeds of children in terms of skills and values will be sown here. And most importantly, I am sure that these seeds will be sown in the light of Atatürk's principles and reforms. On the other hand, we have created a library with the contributions of our valuable teachers, which I think will contribute to our children.”
About Quick Sigorta Gülseren - Hüseyin Doğan Elementary School
Quick Sigorta, which was established within the body of Maher Holding in 2017, is a 100% domestic insurance company. Quick Sigorta meets the needs of its customers with insurance products in all sectors, from finance to health. The company, which carries its innovative vision forward with sustainable steps with its investments in technology and digital spheres, serves its customers in 81 provinces of Türkiye with its over 4000 agencies.
Quick Sigorta, which has come to the fore with its contributions to education as well as its support to art and sports since the first day of its establishment, has crowned its support to education by opening this school alongside the projects it carries out with universities based on its understanding of "Our Social Responsibility is Our Debt to This Country".
The names of all agencies have been included in the time capsule, which was placed on the foundation of the school, the foundation of which was laid together with the agencies, as well as on the school wall. The school was built in the name of Gülseren-Hüseyin Doğan, the mother-in-law and father-in-law of Maher Holding and Quick Sigorta Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Mahmut Erdemoğlu, and brought into the Turkish Education System in the 2022-2023 academic year as promised.
Quick Sigorta Gülseren - Hüseyin Doğan Elementary School consists of 32 classrooms with a closed area of 7 thousand 494.98 square meters on a land of approximately 6.5 acres. The school includes four science laboratories, three system energy rooms, a library, a multi-purpose hall, a canteen, a physical education hall, two generator rooms, two technician rooms, a shelter and a water tank. The wide area available in the school garden, which will allow students to play both basketball and volleyball, highlights the functional aspect of the project. Suspended ceiling application, interior garden detail, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning system to be used for both heating and cooling, and spacious wide ceilings demonstrate the “healthy” structure of the building.