In the program titled “Blue Homeland, Blue Economy and Foreign Developments,” held in the meeting hall of the Iskenderun Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Retired Rear Admiral Prof. Dr. Cihat Yaycı shared his knowledge and experience with the participants.

The opening speech of the program was given by the President of the Iskenderun Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Levent Hakkı Yılmaz. In his speech, President Yılmaz emphasized that the Blue Homeland is a strategic concept that protects Turkey"s rights, security, and economic interests in the seas, stating that this approach is the reflection of national sovereignty and national security in the seas. He noted that the Blue Homeland concept was developed by Retired Rear Admiral Prof. Dr. Cihat Yaycı.

Yılmaz stated that the blue economy covers a wide area from maritime transportation to port services, from energy to tourism, and that dominating the seas is of great importance in terms of trade and competitiveness. Touching upon the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, Yılmaz stated that initiatives excluding Turkey and the TRNC are not sustainable.

The program, which attracted great interest, was attended by; The program was attended by the Chief Judge of the Iskenderun High Criminal Court, Özcan Celep, the Rector of İSTE University, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Duruel, members of the Board of Directors and Assembly of the İSTE Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representatives of NGOs, students from the İSTE University Faculty of Maritime Studies, and many citizens of Iskenderun. During the program, Turkey"s rights and interests in the seas, its maritime-based economic vision, and the strategic dimensions of current foreign developments were discussed, and participants" questions were answered.