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'TURKISH EMPLOYERS AND EXPATS MEET IN AMSTERDAM!'

05 SEP 2024

 

 

 

TURKISH EMPLOYERS AND EXPATS MEET IN AMSTERDAM!

The first-ever Employer–Expat Meeting, organized as part of the Kırmızı Beyaz Buluşmalar, took place on the evening of Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at the Corendon Village Hotel in Amsterdam. The theme of the night was "highly skilled migrants." Experts provided detailed explanations to over 200 attendees on topics such as what being an expat means, its conditions and advantages, as well as the legal and tax implications.

The event was attended by over 200 employers, expats, and Turkish students studying in the Netherlands, including Deputy Consul General Ms. Ezgi Sevim representing the Consulate General of Turkey in Amsterdam, Education Counselor Ms. Miyase Koyuncu Kaya from The Hague, Mr. Ertan Torunoğulları, the Dutch Representative of DTIK, HOTIAD President Mr. Hikmet Gürcüoğlu, MÜSİAD Board Member Mr. Emin İskender, Horeca Bond President Mr. Tarık Saki, and representatives from other significant civil society organizations. Members of the local and international press in the Netherlands were also present at the event.

The event was hosted by Nedwerk, a consultancy for expats, Ozkara Advocaten, one of the leading law firms in the Netherlands, and Control Payroll, which has been providing payroll services in the Netherlands for nearly 10 years. The evening's opening was made by Semra Güngör and Bilal Bal on behalf of the Kırmızı Beyaz Buluşmalar organizing team. Following the opening, Deputy Consul General of Amsterdam, Ms. Ezgi Sevim, took the stage and spoke about the importance of Turkish employers and expats for the Netherlands, highlighting the significant impact and benefits of mutual understanding and solidarity.

As the presentations by experts began, Mr. Mükremin Metin, representing Nedwerk and Control Payroll, provided a detailed explanation of expat status and tax issues. Following him, Mr. İsmet Özkara, on behalf of Ozkara Advocaten, delivered a presentation on the Ankara Agreement, expat status, and legal aspects to the attending expats and employers.

The most interactive and engaging part of the evening, a panel discussion, was moderated by Mr. Bilal Bal from Nedwerk and Control Payroll, who asked prepared questions to the expert guests, Mr. Mükremin Metin and Mr. İsmet Özkara. Mr. Bülent Güneli, a Turkish expat living in the Netherlands for nearly two years, also joined the panel to share his experiences.

The final segment of the evening featured a presentation by Mr. Bilal Bal titled "Current Statistics and Future Projections." Bal highlighted that there are over 90,000 expats living in the Netherlands, with around 25,000 new expats arriving each year to work.

The Turkish students attending the event were not forgotten. A lucky student won a round-trip ticket to Turkey through a raffle. After the presentations and panels, Turkish employers and expats gathered in the lounge area for the networking session, where they enjoyed refreshments, concluding the night on a pleasant and cheerful note.

The Kırmızı Beyaz Buluşmalar will continue to address topics that are important to the community. The second Employer–Expat Meeting is set to be held again in 2024.

 

Source: kirmizibeyaz.nl

How Dutch do you think you’ve become?

When I’m here I feel very Italian and in Italy everyone thinks I’m Dutch. I come from an area called Friuli in the north-east of Italy, close to Venice. Until 1950 it was very poor and constantly invaded by the Germans and the Austrians. So people had to fight for their land and their livelihood. They have three things that matter to them: their house, their family and their money. If you touch any of those things you’re going to have a problem. And that’s very much how the Dutch are too.

Which three Dutch people would you most like to meet, dead or alive?

I don’t know who I’d like to meet, because if I want to meet someone I just call them. One thing I like very much about the Netherlands which is different from my country is the royal household. I loved Beatrix, she was a very good queen. I had the pleasure of meeting her a few times. She was very businesslike but very, very effective. I’m very impressed by people who start a business from nothing. If you go to the Beurs van Berlage, there is a room dedicated to the cacao trade. So in 1995 I started a chocolate festival and it became very popular. And now young people are taking it over. I like these things, I like people who are developing themselves. Or the people from the Van Moof bicycles. I don’t like it, but they’re doing a fantastic job.

What’s your top tourist tip?

Amsterdam. If you walk around in the morning in the spring time or the summertime at five o’clock, it’s breathtaking. You have the downtown area which is 17th century, you have the old Berlage area, there’s the gasfabriek site, which is a beautiful area with Amsterdam School housing. And what’s happening with modern architecture in Amsterdam is incredible. For such a small country it’s very outgoing and very interesting.

What’s a surprising thing that you have found out about the Netherlands?

In the beginning everything was a surprise. Italy is a much larger country, but very provincial. So when I came to the Netherlands the freedom people had was incredible. I was shocked as a Catholic to go to the fitness centre and everybody in the showers was naked. I couldn’t believe it!

If you had 24 hours left in the Netherlands, how would you spend it?

I’d start in the morning with a Dutch breakfast. Eggs, cheese and ham. For lunch: poffertjes. In winter I’d have erwtensoep. I love stamppotten, I love Dutch food. I would visit all the museums in Amsterdam: the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk, and the small galleries. If it was the right time of year I’d go to an art festival, like the IDFA Festival, the Internal Film Festival or a visit at the Film Museum the Eye or the art fairs in November the PAN, TEFAF in Maastricht in March or Unseen.

Source: Dutchnews.nl