Dear Friends, Turkey is a great and rapidly developing country with a relatively young population. It is a country which has drawn attention for the accelerated growth it has achieved over the years as part of the global economy. At the same time, it has constantly expanding needs in line with this extraordinary growth. The foundations of the Doğan Group were laid with these circumstances in mind about half a century ago. In 1961, the company consisted of three people. Years later today, our group has grown to over 15,000 employees. The group has expanded beyond the borders of Turkey to become a group of companies where each company has become a global player in its own field.

We are honored to share our pride in this success with all of the employees, partners, suppliers and social stakeholders who have served the Doğan Group either directly or indirectly since the 1960s.

The fundamental idea that inspired us to establish the Aydın Doğan Foundation was the creation of a permanent, institutional and structural foundation in order to share the success, experience and achievements attained by the Doğan Group over half a century with all segments of society. The companies in our group have always conducted themselves with the awareness that each of them is a corporate citizen with strong connections to the society in which they bloomed, grew and developed. As they look to the future, they realize that their own future cannot be shaped independently of the future of the country and society as a whole. The corporate social responsibility practice of the Doğan Group has always been based on this understanding. The establishment of the Foundation is a gigantic step towards bringing under a single roof the synergy that our companies have created utilizing this philosophy.

When I look back to the past from where we are today, I understand even better how far we have come and what great things we have achieved. Because of our country’s relatively young and constantly expanding demographic profile, the pressing need for education is growing at a pace that outstrips the amount set aside in state budgets. It is clear that in a rapidly globalizing world which is becoming more and more competitive, we can make our superior position even stronger and more defined by transforming the young and dynamic potential of our society into a competent labor force. The Aydın Doğan Foundation closely monitors this process and these needs and has made education a priority because it understands that “youth are the future”. We aware that the most valuable investment is one made in people. We are comforted by the fact that the Aydın Doğan schools, educational centers and dormitories for girls around the country and primarily in developing areas meet a need in this area.

A significant amount of Doğan Group operations are conducted in the media sector and special emphasis is given to efforts in media education. The media in Turkey is prominent worlwide with newspapers, magazines, and radio and television stations. Furthermore, in recent years, the media became an effective and influential player in this global sector thanks to the work of companies in our Group. The objective of the Aydın Doğan Foundation’s educational efforts in the media sector is to ensure that the representatives of the young generation joining our ranks are well-trained, dynamic and effective players in the world of communications of the future.

Culture and the arts are the most valuable treasures that any society possesses. Spanning a large geography, our country has a colorful heritage bearing the evidence of thousands of years of Anatolian history. The primary purpose of our Foundation’s efforts in culture and the arts is to help protect and develop this diversity and bring it into contact with the world of international culture and art.

In addition to these efforts, we are also proud to have implemented multi-faceted social responsibility projects that include health, agriculture and regional development initiatives.

I know that these investments in the future of our country and our people, as well as the contributions to national culture will develop and enrich not only the Doğan Group community, its employees, partners and all of its social stakeholders but also the society of which it is an inseparable part.