We were all upset when one day Sakıp SABANCI told that he had sold the R&D department of Lassa, which we had considered as a big hope for our work-branch whose research and development works were very poor at that period.

It was a period which people were very hopeful and talked a lot about the European Union. It was almost impossible for our collegues to export goods with old methods or unreliable knowledge and formulas in these days which they hoped to be discovered to Europe. We valued this topic with Sakıp SABANCI. He considered it positive and told that he would try to give the necessary support and he kept his promise as long as he lived.

We rented Ali ASUROGLU’s Flat in Esentepe Subay Evleri as the Association Centre. We didn’t have an income yet so we spent our own money for mending and decorating the flat and to buy the necessary things.

We immediately started the education studies. There were even friends who had been working in rubber sector for many years in our first seminar. One of them had come with his technical staff. When he heard that some notes would be handed out during the course, he came near me with the suspect of the old and said: “My staff might leave the job and take the notes with him so you’d better give his notes to me instead of giving him.

See where our work branch, which had been driven with formulas whose origin was unknown and were kept secret in the pocket of the boss or the master, has come.

We cannot tell how happy we feel to see multilingual, experienced, brilliant young people in every new seminar.

The studies of Rubber Assoiation will go further and further as long as you support them and one day you will also feel the same happiness and peace for having a share in this development.

Best Regards
Tuğrul Sirel