Or at least we hope so. Turkey is the richest country when it comes to the mineral boron with 63 percent of world reserves. Boron is useful in the textile industry, for fiberglass technologies and many smaller but highly specific markets. There is also promising technology that will use boron though it has not yet hit Turkey.An ore or natural resource that is abundant usually becomes a national interest for the host country benefiting from it. For example Qatar, a country smaller than İzmir, has the third largest natural gas resources (15 percent of world reserves) and the largest gas field, with 25 trillion cubic meters. A recent conversation taught me how Qatari officials worked to make the state a leading natural gas provider and tech center. The latter is more important, and they want to surpass Russia and Iran in reserves and the US in research. And how they are intending to do it? They hire the best in natural gas research with lofty packages and fund them excessively for quality research. Not to mention several of the famous US universities (Cornell, Texas A&M, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, George-town, etc.) have campuses in this small country.
I think we have a lot to learn from this tiny emirate. First we should learn to manage our resources. A nationalist and extreme leftist Turkish writer calls the lack of boron policy a secret US plan to prevent a powerful Turkey and even has a book called "Bor Kapanı" (The Boron Trap). Apart from the usual doomsday scenarios, the fact that Turkey has not developed enough national interest in boron emerges. And this is something the newly re-elected Parliament dominated by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has to resolve as soon as possible.
Not to become the devil's advocate, but I feel obliged to present a possible action plan -- something a responsible scientist does. First, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) has to establish a committee on boron that would include leading boron experts in Turkey and elected officials that understand what they need. Second, Turkey should establish a private research institute on boron. Currently, the Chemistry and Environment Institute (CEI) under TÜBİTAK's Marmara Research Center deals with boron along with the 100 other tasks with which they're charged. Third, an international conference on boron and its derivatives has to be organized. With generous funding and state-level participation in the ceremonies, this conference should become "the place" for boron. Once these three steps have been taken, there will be a major driving force both for global communities and Turkish business to invest on boron within Turkey. That could only help Turkey prosper.
Aside from the probable economic impact of boron, Turkey can use this resource as a bargaining chip against countries lacking the mineral. As we see France using genocide claims to sell Turkey their outdated weapons and others are trying to get a hand on that whip as well, it has become very serious and urgent that Turkey attempts to get some whipping action of its own. There is heck of a lot to do, so let's get back to work.
Benzer Haberler 
National
![[NEWS ANALYSIS]<br>Boron should be a competitive advantage - A victorious administration in the post-election period can do a lot for the ever-growing and young Turkish nation. However, there may not be big changes in policies regarding natural resources, particularly mining, since they are of national interest and do not change with the coming and going of political parties. <br />](http://medya.todayszaman.com/todayszaman/2007/08/15/boron.jpg)
