Regional Operations Center: Turkey Realizes Taiwan's Unfufilled Dream

Regional Operations Center: Turkey Realizes Taiwan's Unfufilled Dream
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China)
A Translation
November 11, 2013

Summary: Consider the "regional transit center" dream. If today Taiwan is reduced to asking itself, "If Turkey can, why can't Taiwan?" how sad is that? Taiwan's future cannot wait. Can the ruling and opposition parties on Taiwan reach a consensus? Whether or not Taiwan can, depends upon our willingness to roll up our sleeves and get down to work. It depends upon our willingness to make up for time lost to partisan backbiting. We can only pray we still have a chance to catch up.

Full text below:

For many people on Taiwan, Turkey is a distant and unknown land. In late October, an undersea railroad tunnel connected Europe with Asia, and became the focus of international attention. The tunnel runs underneat the Bosphorus Strait. The plan for the tunnel was devised by Sultan Abdul Medjid of the Ottoman Empire in the mid-nineteenth century. Today it has finally been realized. The Economist magazine called it "The Sultan's Dream," and published a report on this 150 year old dream come true.

The undersea railroad tunnel is complete. But it will still be some time before vehicular traffic can begin. Some say that Turkey’s current prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is too hubristic. A number of major construction projects were begun during his term. They include airports, bridges, and large-scale urban development projects. Criticisms vary. But his ambition is obvious. These construction projects require tens of billions of dollars in public funds. Turkey cannot afford them. But Erdogan is undeterred. For example, this tunnel is important to investors in Japan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was among the VIPs who attended the opening of the tunnel.

Turkey's political and economic situation has had its ups and downs. But it remains a pioneer of modernization in the Western Asian region. Prime Minister Erdogan was once Mayor of Istanbul. He had a very liberal image. But in recent years, he has been accused of authoritarian tendencies. More importantly, Turkey, like many newly industrialized countries, has grand economic ambitions. It is located at the crossroads of the Eurasian continent. It has a unique opportunity to become a tourism and transportation hub. A visionary leader will not squander this advantage. Over the past decade, its flagship Turkish Airlines was privatized and reborn. It became an international model of successful business transformation and attracted considerable attention. 

TV audiences on Taiwan have probably seen the TV ad featuring American NBA star Kobe Bryant and Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi of Barcelona, playing ball in an airline cabin. But when the credits roll and read, "The best fly with Europe's best airline -- Turkish Airlines," many people are incredulous. They can't believe such a modern and cosmopolitan TV ad was run by Turkish Airlines. Time magazine said this joint effort by two sports superstars took place in one of the most unlikely places. Turkish Airlines was willing to spend big bucks for international visibility. This ad, when uploaded to YouTube, received over 70 million hits. The publicity generated was tremendous.

Turkish Airlines has made many innovative moves. More importantly, according to professional analysts, it has made full use of its geographical advantages. It has vigorously established new destinations, in both mature European markets and emerging Asia and African markets. Many cities across three continents are only four hours away from Istanbul. Turkish Airlines has seized upon its geographical advantage. Once it decided to realize its ambition, it immediately displayed the power of a newly awakened lion.

Turkish Airlines has become a living, breathing example of national brand building. It has also become a "regional transit center." Does this not ring a bell on Taiwan? Twenty years ago, we on Taiwan began promoting a "regional operations center." Everyone was drawing up blueprints for "Taiwan as an Asian hub." According to international management consultants, only two cities were less than four hours' away from most cities in East Asia -- Taipei and Manila. Travel to and from these two cities qualified as "day trips." This is why Manila became a world-renowned center for Federal Express next day service in Asia.

The "East Asian Operations Center" dream eluded Taiwan. Only recently has Taipei's Songshan Airport undergone modernization. This enabled Ma Ying-jeou to revive the "Northeast Asian Golden Circle" dream. But many opportunities for development are no longer in Taiwan's hands. In 2009 FedEx transferred its East Asian hub in Subic Bay to the new 1.5 billion dollar Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou. This opportunity could have been ours. Looking back on two decades of rise and fall in our regional status, how can we not feel pangs of regret?

Turkey's per capita GDP is currently just over 10,000 USD, exactly half of that on Taiwan. Turkey has just completed its undersea tunnel. Turkish Airlines has built an international brand. Clearly Turkey is committed to becoming a "West Asian transit center." People on Taiwan used to ask, "If the US can, if Japan can, why can't Taiwan?" They once had the ambition of those in developed countries. Later, this became, "If Hong Kong can, if Singapore can, why can't Taiwan?" During high-tech industrial restructuring this became, "If  South Korea can, why can't Taiwan?" Now consider the "regional transit center" dream. If today Taiwan is reduced to asking itself, "If Turkey can, why can't Taiwan?" how sad is that?

Taiwan's future cannot wait. Can the ruling and opposition parties on Taiwan reach a consensus? Whether or not Taiwan can, depends upon our willingness to roll up our sleeves and get down to work. It depends upon our willingness to make up for time lost to partisan backbiting. We can only pray we still have a chance to catch up.
  
區域營運中心：從土耳其看台灣未竟之夢
【聯合報╱社論】
2013.11.11 02:57 am

土耳其對很多國人像是不熟悉的一個遠方國度，十月底一條連接歐亞大陸的海底鐵路隧道開通，使它成為國際新聞焦點。這條貫穿博斯普魯斯海峽的海底隧道，是鄂圖曼帝國蘇丹阿布杜．梅吉德早在十九世紀中期就提出的計畫，如今終於實現。「經濟學人」雜誌就以「蘇丹的夢想」為題，報導這個在一百五十年後夢想成真的故事。

這條海底鐵路隧道開通，距離可實際通車還有一段路要走，也有人認為現任總理厄多岡好大喜功。他任內還有多項重大建設，包括機場、跨海大橋、大型都市發展計畫等，毀譽不一，但可看出其企圖心。這些公共建設所需資金動輒數十億美金，非土耳其國力所能負擔，但厄多岡魄力出手，例如這條海底隧道即以日本為重要投資者，安倍首相因此成為隧道開通的首席貴賓。

土耳其的政經情勢時有起伏，但它在西亞地區仍是現代化的先驅，曾任伊斯坦堡市長的厄多岡總理早先頗具開明形象，雖然近年來亦傳出獨裁傾向的評語。重要的是，土耳其像許多新興工業化國家一樣，拚經濟野心勃勃。它橫跨歐亞大陸的地理位置，發展旅遊業和交通樞紐的功能得天獨厚，有眼光的領導者不會浪費這種優勢。近十年來，代表其國家形象之一的土耳其航空公司，在民營化之後脫胎換骨，在國際間創造了企業轉型成功的例子，很多人津津樂道。

台灣觀眾應該看過，一支由美國ＮＢＡ名人布萊恩和阿根廷籍的巴塞隆納足球明星梅西在機艙裡飆球的廣告，直到片尾打出廣告詞：「最棒的飛行，搭乘歐洲最棒的航空公司」，很多人不敢相信，如此具強烈現代感和國際觀的廣告是在介紹土耳其航空。美國時代雜誌也稱，這是兩大體壇巨星聯手合作「最不可能發生的地方」，可見土耳其航空行銷國際形象之大手筆。這支廣告在YouTube點閱超過七千萬次，產生驚人的宣傳效力。

土耳其航空種種革新之舉也都罷了，重要的是，根據專業分析，它充分利用地理優勢，大力開拓新航點，不管是成熟的歐洲市場，或新興的亞、非市場，這三大洲許多城市距伊斯坦堡在航程四小時的範圍內。土耳其航空緊抓這個地理優勢，一旦決心大展鴻圖，立即展現睡醒的獅子一般的威力。

土耳其航空不但成了國家品牌形象的活教材，關於它作為「區域轉運中心」的定位，台灣民眾會不會覺得聽來似曾相識？二十年前，台灣推展「亞太營運中心」計畫，曾到處推出過一幅「台灣作為東亞中心」的地圖。根據當時國際管理顧問公司的分析，整個東亞大部分城市飛行航程在四小時以內有資格形成「一日生活圈」條件的，唯台北與馬尼拉。這也是為什麼馬尼拉很早就成為全球知名的美商聯邦快遞「亞洲一日達」的中心。

但台灣的「亞洲營運中心」之夢稍縱即逝。直到最近台北松山機場大興變革，讓馬英九總統重提「東北亞黃金圈」的大夢，但台灣很多發展機會已時不我予。二○○九年，聯邦快遞將其亞洲轉運中心由原來設在蘇比克灣的據點，轉往新投資了一點五億美金的廣州白雲機場；這個機會，本來不是很可能是屬於我們的嗎？回顧這二十年來的區域情勢消長，能不唏噓！

土耳其目前的人均ＧＤＰ剛超過一萬美金，恰好是台灣的一半。而除了新近的海底隧道之外，憑著僅僅土耳其航空的國際形象，可看出這個國家致力成為「西亞轉運中心」的企圖。台灣以前喜歡問，「美國能，日本能，台灣能不能」，頗有躋身已開發國家行列的雄心；後來問「香港能，新加坡能，台灣能不能」，甚至對高科技產業轉型問「南韓能，台灣能不能」。而就以「區域轉運中心」的夢想來說，今天若竟淪到要問「土耳其能，台灣能不能」的境地，豈不悲哀？

朝野如果對「台灣的未來不能等」還有一點共識，「能不能」的重點應是挽起袖子來努力做事，把過去虛擲內耗的時光補起來，但望還有機會迎頭趕上！