Today is official our first full day in Istanbul. It is also a national holiday celebrating the  beginning of the war leading to Turkey’s independence. This day is a day to also celebrate the youth of the country as well.

We started the day by having a panel discussion with three prestiges Turkish figures. The first one was Ahmet Damgacioglu who spoke on the importance and the use of solar energy. He is a entrepreneur who is wants to expand the use of solar energy in Turkey.

The second speaker was Can Ceylanoglu who is a Supply Chain Manager for Phillips Health Systems. He spoke on the brand and the expansion of Phillips into different markets. The third speaker was Haluk Sahin who is a leading Journalist and gave us an insight into the economical and political aspects of Turkey and the reasons for countries that are in the top markets.

After the meeting we ventured out with our fellow Marmara University peers to the Asian side of Istanbul. We took a ferry across the Bosporus Sea and the view was amazing. I’ve never experienced such a peaceful and tranquel moment. After exploring the other side of Istanbul we headed back to our hotel to prepare for the dance theater.

At the dance theater we saw a terrific performance by a cast of well talented dancers. There were dances that depicted the culture of Turkey and even belly dancers. Overall it was an adventurous day and I cannot wait to see what the next day has to offer.