ARZU ONGUR
Legal consultant and attorney Arzu Ongur provides services in many legal fields in Turkey, including the Drinking Water Delivery Project to the TRNC from Turkey, the procurement of Spanish radar software and airport construction, and oil investment projects involving foreign companies.
By Hilal KÖYLÜ
Attorney Arzu Ongur is the executive partner of the Ongur and Partners Law office, which is one of the premier law offices in Turkey providing consultancy services in international law.
Ongur caught the attention of the entire world with her achievements in law, acting as a bridge between the Turkish legal system and the rest of the world by shouldering legal responsibilities in interstate agreements and projects, as well as in the activities of foreign investors in Turkey and Turkish investors abroad.
Ongur is able to bounce from one success to another because she never stopped following her dreams. Acting as a legal consultant to many embassies and foreign missions in Turkey, she calls on women to “Trust your dreams. The desire to realize them will follow.”
You are in touch with the entire world. If people were to ask you “Where is Turkey economically and socially on a global scale?”, how would you reply, as a globally famous attorney?
In school, people always talk about the geopolitical importance of Turkey, and this importance can be well understood when you travel the world and meet different cultures and explain to them the legal aspects of investing in Turkey. Turkey has extraordinary development capacity, but we must transform Turkey into a trademark and place in which women are at the very center, as women can be the driving force of development. We could create a powerful image for Turkey only by emphasizing the power of women. Everyone stresses that more foreign investors should come to Turkey, but no one emphasizes the power of women in this respect. If we are to ensure a secure investment environment, women need to be more active. Once we realize this and act accordingly, Turkey will gain a stronger image in the world.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IS A MUST
You have lived in both the United States and Italy, and you have numerous clients from the Far East. What are the pros and cons of being a woman in Turkey when compared to the rest of the world? Why do women face so many problems in Turkey?
Women are facing problems all over the world, but for women in Turkey, the fight is specifically against the violation of women’s rights and the absence of equal opportunities. The education system is proof of this, although Turkey is still striving to improve it. If women in Turkey were given the same chances as men, I am sure they would be more successful. In the first place, women derive their power from Atatürk, who created this country anew and started a revolution with the support of women. Women maintain a magical role in Anatolian culture as the ones who arrange everyday life, because, I believe, we think faster and so can organize better. The abilities of Turkish women are admired all around the world, but still today they have worries. We have to minimize this and empower our women.
How do you think this empowerment can be achieved?
Women should be able to stand on their own two feet but to do this, we need the government to ensure equal opportunities in education. Women all over the world are fighting for this, which indicates that there is a constant effort to gain a better education, but since the overall change within society is not adequately observed, we still are not aware of the real needs of women. If 70 percent of society is watching TV, then the rights and capacities of women should be expressed in a realistic way. For example, if the success stories of women are implanted into the movies and TV series, these stories could give people an idea of how a woman can be successful. To this end, women need to support each other, as waiting for the government to do things will not suffice.
How does a successful Turkish woman model affect a foreigner?
I have witnessed positive astonishment among Europeans and Americans when they find themselves facing a woman in international legal meetings. You can see their enlightenment in their eyes regarding the situation in Turkey when they face a bilingual, well-educated and capable woman, especially in the legal field. This helps in the creation of powerful relations and helps us work faster in various projects. There are successful Turkish women who are worthy of such admiration for clearing the path to new projects. We established a brotherhood between the Bars of Florence and Ankara, and paved the way for closer ties between Turkish and European lawyers. In time, we shall to improve and accelerate our relations with those working in the legal field all over the world.
WOMEN ARE MORE AMBITIOUS AT WORK
How do men and women in terms of their approach to business?
I believe women are more organized and disciplined in the office, and are more ambitious in their work. I like working with women, and I would definitely like to see more women in the business world. I also believe in the harmony between men and women. If there are problems between partners at work, it is not normally due to sexual differences, but egos. It is for this reason that people should develop themselves to work in closer harmony with others, and accept the fact that one can always learn something new.
You are working successfully in a difficult field, how about some advice to women looking for similar success?
They should have dreams. As I said, ambition comes from dreaming. They should read, travel and make observations, and should learn foreign languages. A language in addition to English makes you more powerful in business. Of course, they should trust themselves and work hard. The world is more beautiful with women.
About Arzu Ongur
Attorney Arzu Ongur operates in Turkey and abroad in such fields as investment law, oil–natural gas and energy law, mining law, preparation and follow–up of commercial and administrative cases, plus representation of clients, public procurement law, international contracts, defense industry law, banking law, administrative law and privatization law. Ongur works with both legal and private entities, organizations, institutions and companies, and for embassies as a legal consultant.
Arzu Ongur has worked as a legal consultant on many projects, carried out both in Turkey and abroad, including Italy, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. She has broad experience in international arbitration, and in many projects realized by foreign investors in Turkey and large projects by Turkish investors realized abroad. Ongur has published numerous articles and has picked up several awards in her field. She completed her Law education in Ankara University and did her master’s degree in Italy, and has taken part in certification programs in the United States.
